Gracious God, in the wilderness, Your Son faced temptation and trusted in Your word. Strengthen us in our trials, that we may rely not on ourselves, but on You alone. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Well, here we are at day five of Lent; how are those Lenten disciplines going?
Maybe you gave up chocolate, maybe it's coffee, and by now, you’re staring longingly at the pantry, wondering if God really meant for you to suffer this much. Maybe you decided to spend less time scrolling on your phone, but your fingers keep hovering over the app, just to “check one thing.” Or maybe you had grand intentions for a deep, profound Lenten discipline–only to realize that life gets in the way, and, well, there’s always next year.
Temptation is real. And it isn’t just chocolate, coffee, or screens. The real test of temptation is what lies beneath: that desire for comfort, control, or certainty.
Today, we hear the story of Jesus in the wilderness. After his baptism–where God declared, “you are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased” – He is led, not into celebration, but into a season of trial. Forty days of hunger, solitude, and vulnerability. And when He is at His weakest, temptation comes.
Notice how the tempter operates. He doesn’t just suggest random sins–he tempts Jesus with good things in the wrong way.
Turn stones into bread? Jesus is hungry! Bread is good!
Throw yourself down? God has promised to protect you!
Ruler over the world? Isn’t that what the Messiah is supposed to do?
Each temptation twists something good–provision, security, power–and turns it into a shortcut. But Jesus resists, not with His own strength, but with God’s Word.
And here’s the part that really gets me. The tempter quotes scripture to Jesus. Let’s let that sink in. Temptation isn’t always obvious. Sometimes, it wears the disguise of something spiritual. “If you’re the Son of God…” – prove yourself. “Didn’t God promise protection?” – test it. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just took the shortcut?”
Temptation often sounds reasonable. It tells us, “just this once.” “No one will know.” “You deserve this.” “It’s Sunday! It’s a feast day.” And yet, every time we give in, we become just a little bit more comfortable living outside of trust in God.
That’s why today’s other readings are so important. In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are reminded to remember their story—to recall how God brought them through trial and to trust that God will continue to provide. Psalm 91 reminds us that God’s protection is real, but not something to be manipulated. And Paul reminds us that, ultimately, when we fail—and we will—there is grace. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
So as we walk this Lenten journey, let’s not treat it as a test of our willpower. Lent is not about proving our strength–it’s about drawing closer to Christ. If you’re struggling with your Lenten discipline, good. That struggle reminds you that you need God more than your own strength.
Jesus has been through the wilderness. And because of that, we do not walk through it alone. Amen.
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