Lent Day #20

Matthew 4:1-4 (ESV)
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written,

"'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

THOUGHTS:
Many Bibles tend to head this section "The Temptation of Jesus". The use of "The" implies that this was the only time in his life that Jesus was tempted. We don't know that. Looking ahead to the night he is arrested to be crucified, Jesus says something like "Father, all things are possible for you. If you are willing, allow this cup to pass from me. Yet, not what I want, but what you will." (Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42). Just as Jesus is tempted when we begins his ministry, he is tempted near the end. We don't really know, but it's possible that much of the time when he goes off alone to pray, he is trying to fight of temptations he is feeling.

In Matthew 4:1-4 above, we see Jesus being tempted by "the tempter". With all of the focus given to the image in the media, we probably picture a big red devil with the horns and pitch fork taunting Jesus. Think about the temptations in your life ... is a big red devil standing beside you? I've never seen one. It's just as reasonable to assume his temptations worked like ours so often do: a little voice inside his head is whispering: "You are hungry. You can provide yourself with food. Do it."

The devil imagery actually makes it easier to resist, doesn't it? There is an entity to stand up to. There is an "enemy" to rebel against. How much harder is it to fight the voices in our head that tempt us each day?

"Don't give that bum a dollar, he'll spend it on booze."
"Don't go to worship, you have homework to do."
"Don't give that money to a homeless shelter, you need a new iPod."

It seems we can be expected to be tempted throughout our lives...each and every day. Today, look inside yourself to identify what temptations you struggle with. Can you name them? Feel free to insert them in the prayer below.

PRAYER:
God, we feel many temptations, both from within us and from the world around us. Help us to resist the temptations we face each day, especially ...
Help us to focus on You when we are in the midst of these temptations. Help us to remember that You live in us and we live through You. May your will be done in our lives. AMEN.