2-7-10

Text: Luke 4:1-13

● Luke’s determination is to present an accurate and coherent account of all the instances surrounding Jesus’ birth, formation, life, death and resurrection in order to offer them as “fulfillment”. Again, as to say, “This is the one we have been waiting for”.

            Begins with John the Baptist and connects him to the one in their story who was believed to be like another Elijah, announcing God’s return and challenging people to prepare for it through repentance.

            He continues with the angelic announcement to Mary and identifies this one to be born as the “Savior”--- the rescuer, the long-anticipated Messiah of Israel and of the whole world.

            He pictures Jesus entering the waters of baptism (just like the Israelites had been baptized into Moses) and coming out to pursue God’s new life. He offers us the voice of the Father and the presence of the Spirit affirming the identity of his son and setting him about his restorative mission to the world.

            He traces Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam and to God. He now presents Jesus as being “led by the Spirit” in the wilderness for (40) days, apparently attempting to relate this story to the experience of Israel’s desert-wanderings.

● It is apparent that Luke is attempting to demonstrate how Jesus is re-capitulating the story of God and his dealings with humanity and Israel, in particular, in such a way as to see how everything that God had envisioned and purposed for humanity was now coming to fulfillment in Jesus.

● Before he has taught in the synagogue, called his first disciple, healed anyone or done anything profound, the voice of the Father is heard declaring his approval… “This is my son, whom I love. I am pleased with him”. He is loved and delighted in simply because he is of the Father. His worth and value is innate, not merited or achieved.

He is portrayed in life as being motivated by a passion to see his Father’s dream for the world come true; a dream of functionality and wholeness. His every action was the result of listening to the Father’s heart and responding accordingly. Who wouldn’t be pleased with a son like that?

● But, temptation always addresses the essential issues of “identity” and “mission”. What does it mean to be God’s son (child) and how are we to live out that reality? Can God, does God really love us?”

Jeremiah 32:38-41 (read)

            God knows that our hearts cannot be ruled, but only captured. HE knows that his only chance at an authentic relationship with us would be dependent upon his ability to ‘inspire’ us. Imagine, God trying to inspire us? It makes God appear somewhat vulnerable and desperate, doesn’t it?

            God’s love for us and desire to be with us would get our attention and motivate us to choose him. The more we would come to know him, the more we would become convinced that our only reasonable response would be to give ourselves to him completely, considering no other options--- what Jeremiah calls “singleness of heart”; “devotion”; “choosing one thing”.

● But, we’re not really convinced that God can love us; that love is really powerful enough to alter the human spirit. Throughout the story, we discover that nothing has had such a profound impact on the human heart like “the Fall” and “grace”.

● This idea of the desert/wilderness has been used frequently as a means of describing the really disturbing dimension of our journey; the disorientation we experience as life interrupts our peaceful existence.

            It’s associated with ‘wandering’--- surviving, but always feeling you were meant for something else. The place where we try not to look “lost”. We know we are there because we took an alternate route, but we try to convince ourselves that life’s good there.

● It feels harsh; it feels like ‘abandonment’--- feeling that we’ve been left “to” ourselves.  It’s only after you view it in the context of the larger story that you are able to look back like Nehemiah and say, “Because of your great compassion, you did not abandon them in the desert” (9:19).

What happens in the wilderness is temptation.

It’s easy to pledge our allegiance to God in the comfortable and supportive context of the masses, but when you’re tired, and hungry, and lonely and you’re not sure who God is, or who you are, it becomes the place of decisions; the place where everything about God and life is challenged.

● Have you ever noticed how many voices you start hearing in the wilderness? (may be a relief to many of you who thought you were struggling with schizophrenia).

● In the wilderness, the noise is all gone, so the voices are more pronounced; everything that we’ve utilized to drown out the silence is now unavailable to us. All of the ways that we’ve attempted to avoid the gnawing feeling that’s something’s just not right; that our life is disorderly and chaotic.

We are left not just to entertain the voices, but to “discern” (examine, scrutinize, to determine whether something is genuine or not, to approve).

            Who is this? Isn’t that the first thing we say when we hear a voice that we think should be familiar, but seems to be sending some conflicting messages?

What am I hearing? What am I to make of it? Is the message that of comfort or judgment; is the message one of loving-correction or harsh accusation?

It’s recognizing that voices have ‘tones’, they have qualities that allow you to identify the one speaking.

● This identifying and approving/rejecting will always be a central part of your journey, not only in the wilderness, but in your marriage, your family, and in your personal evaluation.

The wilderness is not just something that you happen to stumble upon, it’s often the place of God’s leading. It’s the place of new discovery--- of ourselves and God.

It can be a place of provision; a place where God does something unexpected.

Deuteronomy 8:16 says, “God gave you manna to eat in the desert…” (It’s our, “What’s this? Where did this come from?” response) 

Psalm 78:52 “He brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert”.

Psalm 78:19 speaks of God “spreading a table in the wilderness” (water from rocks and food from the heavens).

Due to our loss of equilibrium, the wilderness is where we sometimes find ourselves asking all the wrong questions.

            “Why me, God? What did I do wrong? When are you going to get me out of here?” Valid questions, but not the most appropriate ones.

            It’s easy to assume that the desert is the place of arbitrary punishment, but it’s essentially the place where we discover all of those areas of our lives into which God desires to bring order and healing.

● The life-transforming questions are those which deal with who we are and who God is so we don’t emerge with just a few particular answers and a great deal or relief, but with understanding.

The wilderness is where we start looking for water to quench our thirst, food to satisfy our hunger and companionship to overcome our loneliness.

            And, we start to realize that we have none of those provisions with us. We are not self-sufficient.

We often fail to remember that the desert is the place that we first met God; the place where we first experienced his advances toward us.

It’s the place where he first made covenant with humanity; the place where he attempts to restore our first love.

Hosea 2:14 (in speaking of faithless Israel) “I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her… I will show my love to her”.

It’s easy to emerge from the desert feeling depleted and disappointed in yourself.

            It’s easy to feel that the time spent has contributed nothing to the journey--- that you’re still ‘wandering’ aimlessly and now with even more uncertainty.

● We often assume that Jesus was most vulnerable in the desert; that it was Satan’s opportunity to exploit his weakness and vulnerability. 

            I would argue to the contrary: I believe that Jesus, though hungry and thirsty and fatigued, was somehow thoroughly nourished and equipped for the challenge [“I have food that you know nothing about”. John 4:32]

● He wasn’t deprived, but actually empowered. Luke describes Jesus as “full of the Holy Spirit” and “led by the Spirit”.  I would argue that in the wilderness, Jesus was keenly aware of and responsive to the presence of the Spirit. Satan needed to wait for a more ‘opportune time’.

● But, we need to be reminded that love is the chief weapon against temptation. It was the settled love of the Father that allowed Jesus to successfully encounter the wilderness. It was this pre-emptive love of the Father which established Jesus’ identity and set him about his restorative mission to the world.

            To know that we are loved and to know that this love is relentless gives us the courage to reject others ways of finding love; other ways of attempting to discover who we are.