The Devil Didn't Make Me Do It!

“Jesus, full of the Holy spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was very hungry.” Luke 4:1-2 A forty-day fast! That is a long time to go without food. At the end of forty days, I would think a person would be very weak and have difficulty thinking clearly. It would put a person at high risk for failure at anything.

While we are not told what Jesus did during those forty days other than that he was in the desert, I imagine he was spending a lot of time talking with his Father about how to go about showing himself to be the Christ, the Messiah, and how to help people understand the love of the Father for his children – all of us. They may have talked about whether or not physical healings would help or hinder. They may have talked about how to approach the religious leaders who thought they knew everything there was to know about God, but were missing some very important things.

After Jesus had been without food for forty days, who would show up but the devil – stomping on a man in his weakest moment? “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3 What is it the devil is tempting Jesus with? Obviously, it was food – sustenance. He hasn’t eaten for forty days and bread would taste pretty good right now. What would be wrong with Jesus making a stone into bread? Probably nothing. But Jesus’ answer would indicate the temptation is more than just food. “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” Luke 4:4 Matthew adds, “but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 I wonder if what Jesus was dealing with here was motive. Why do we do what we do? Is it motivated by self-satisfaction, fitting in with others, or is it to honor and glorify God? God had not released Jesus to eat just yet, and certainly not at the hand of the devil! Jesus answer according to Matthew also indicates that God is our true source of everything we need. We need not turn to the world or the devil to eat our fill.

“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.’” Luke 4:5-7 Jesus could supposedly have all the riches and power in the world if he bowed to Satan. How far will I go to gain worldly wealth and control over others? What will I bow to? Is it truly Satan’s to give? Again, Jesus responds by quoting Scripture, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:8 It seems Jesus was quite aware of who the true Creator and Master of the universe was and it wasn’t the devil. All the wealth and power in the world would not make Jesus bend a knee to anyone other than the Father in heaven. I wonder if my worship is always in the right place. Am I so sure of who God is that I don’t need to try to gain worldly wealth and power for myself? Is my heart completely focused on God and content with his gifts or do I let myself at times fall into seeking power and wealth that are not mine?

“The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Luke 4:9-11 Wow! The devil basically said, “You keep quoting Scripture. Well here is some Scripture for you.” Would he catch Jesus with this one? What is he tempting Jesus with? I wonder if it has something to do with who is in control? Children are masters of control. If they want their parent to stop doing something and pay attention to them, they will start getting into things they know they are not supposed to in order to get the parent to stop talking on the phone or paying the bills and pay attention to them. Isn’t this, in a way, what the devil was asking Jesus to do with God? Jesus could control the situation by putting himself at risk and ‘making’ God rescue him. But Jesus wisely responds, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:12 Jesus knew that taking Scripture out of context was not a good idea and he had other Scripture to help keep his focus and interpretation correct.

I wonder how many times I wonder off on my own thing and try to get God to come with me – “God, please bless my project or detour,” rather than seeking where God is going and try to align my thoughts with his and my heart with his? I wonder why Jesus had to go through these temptations. Yet it seems he addresses the most powerful things in this world that can make us wander away from God. If we can learn from Jesus and respond by always turning our hearts and minds to God, trusting him for sustenance, worshiping only him, and following him rather than trying to lead him, just maybe we can get through this life without major falls. I hope I can get better at remembering to ask myself about my motives before responding to something, worshiping God rather than seeking control, and seeking God’s path rather than asking him to bless mine.

Thank you Jesus for showing me how to interpret and deal with temptations in my life. I don’t have to give in and say, “The devil made me do it.” But I can stand strong, trusting you to care for me, worshiping the one and only God, and seeking to follow you. You are my God, the one I serve, worship and adore.

What's In A Name?

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22 Did Jesus need to be baptized? He was without sin. Did Jesus need to be filled with the Holy Spirit? He was God’s Son. Wasn’t he filled with the Holy Spirit from birth? What is the significance of this baptism?

For Jesus, the baptism wasn’t the repentance of sin, but it was more of a commissioning as he began his public ministry. It was a confirmation for John the Baptist as he saw the dove descend on Jesus that he was indeed the One – the Messiah. Jesus didn’t need to ‘turn around’, but he needed to begin a new chapter of his life. I’m guessing Jesus benefited from hearing his Father’s voice affirming him at this time as well. God was ‘introducing’ Jesus to those present as his Son. And he was also letting them know that Jesus was in favor with God. He could be trusted

It seems ironic for Luke to then go into the genealogy of Joseph. Why is the genealogy so important? Jesus was just introduced as God’s Son. If I understand it correctly, the Jewish lineage was passed down through the mother – the mother needed to be a direct descendent of Abraham or the daughter of a convert to Judaism or a convert herself in order for her children to be considered Jewish. However, property was owned and passed down through the father’s lineage. According to the website, www.lifeofchrist.com/life/genealogy, the use of the word ‘son’ could mean direct descendant or son-in-law or grandson. In the case of Luke 3:23, it is believed that Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli which makes the genealogy that of Mary.

The importance of the genealogy to the Jewish people had two purposes: land ownership and verifying the Messiah was a descendant of those to whom the promises were made. One had to prove they were a descendant of a particular person to inherit the property and to have the property to return to them during the year of Jubilee. But in this case, the importance of providing the genealogy was to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. The prophesies are clear that the Messiah would come through the lineage of Adam, Abraham, Judah, Jesse and David. The Israelites kept very careful genealogies to be able to know if the one they believed to be the Messiah would fulfill those prophesies. Luke sets out to show the reader that Jesus is a descendant of those to whom the promises were made and therefore he meets the genealogical criteria to be the Messiah.

The genealogy in Luke used to be a challenge to read – can’t pronounce the names and what difference does it make. However, over time as I have gotten to know some of the persons in the genealogy through reading the Old Testament, it has become of more interest to me. There are a lot of stories in a genealogy – some of them inspiring and others not so pretty. It is a reminder to me that God is bigger than my circumstances. It is a reminder to me that God can use me to his purpose in generations in the future – even if I mess up here and now. It is a reminder that God can heal and forgive me, and that he loves me with both tender and adamant love and that he has that tender and adamant love for each one of us in every generation.

Each generation has opportunity to make better, maintain or destroy the family name that they inherit. We do not have to be stuck in the sins of our ancestors. We have the opportunity to pass on good things to the future generations by accepting the grace God has given us and living lives worthy of the calling he has given us. With God’s grace, I want to become a ‘good mark’ on the genealogical record of my family line regardless of the circumstances of my life.

Getting Ready

God had made it very clear when John was born that he had a special calling. Now another prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord… and all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Isaiah 40:3-5. John begins his public ministry preaching a strong gospel of repentance to the descendents of Abraham who live in the Jordan valley. It seems they have become lax in their obedience to God and have this idea that because they are Abraham’s children, they are good enough. John is calling them to repent and be baptized. But John wants more than a verbal repentance from them.

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’” Luke 3:8-9

When the people asked what they should do, John did not say, “Say the ‘Sinner’s Prayer' and be baptized, three times down face forward.” He immediately told them what ‘fruit’ they needed to be producing. “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11 John was telling the people the very things God had told them through the Laws given to Moses. “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:10-11 John is pointing the people back to the God who has provided richly for them and reminding them of the commandment to care for the poor among them.

“Tax collectors also came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?” Luke 3:12 Tax collectors were despised by the general Jewish population because they were working for the Roman government – their oppressors. And not only that, they were extracting extra money and getting rich off of their own people! But here they were listening to John and repenting and being baptized. John answers their question telling them how they can bear fruit in keeping with their repentance. “Don’t collect any more than you are required to.” Luke 3:13 John didn’t tell them to quit working for the Roman government and quit collecting taxes. But he does tell them to be honest and quit filling their pockets at the expense of others.

“Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’” Luke 3:14 Did I read that right? Soldiers were listening to John and repenting? “He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.’” Luke 3:16 At first I wondered if these soldiers may have been Jews conscripted to serve in the Roman militia. But John’s response sure makes them sound like Roman soldiers. And again, John is not telling them to get out of the army, but rather telling them to be honest and kind towards others. That is the fruit they should be producing if they have truly repented.

Through John’s preaching, God is preparing people’s hearts for the Messiah. It seems that people’s hearts were so far from God’s heart that they needed to wake up or they were going to miss what was about to happen. “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:16 John is waking the people up from a long slumber and drowsiness. He is reminding them of prophecies that are about to be fulfilled. Get ready. Things are about to change!

I wonder if once again God’s people are sleeping or at least very drowsy. David Kinnaman shares statistics in his book, “unChristian,” that would indicate the fruit of ‘believers’ is not much different than that of ‘unbelievers’. We are called not just to repent, but to bear fruit in keeping with our repentance. If I truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah, how am I expressing that in my daily living? Do I believe that everything I have comes from God and is to be used to his honor and glory? Or am I hording the good gifts that he gives me and keeping them for myself? Do I believe that he loves all of those around me just as he loves me and that Jesus died for them as well as me? Or am I hording the Good News and keeping it to myself? Do I believe that his healing is for everyone? Or do I think it is just for those who go to church every Sunday – keepers of the law? Am I allowing God to change me and to give me eyes to see those around me he wants to touch using my hands? Where’s the fruit? Is it in keeping with my repentance – my understanding of who God is and how he relates to me?

Oh God, please forgive me for any hording I have been doing, and please fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I can see with your eyes those you have placed before me – those with whom you want me to share my wealth, those who need fairness, and those who need honesty. Please do not let me slumber and miss the work that you are doing. Fill me so that I can produce fruit in keeping with my repentance. Amen.

Where Could He Be

It must be a boy thing – disappearing for a while without telling parents where they are going. I have two sons and they both did it. I found one on a playground near the school. He wanted to play with a friend. He was 6 years old. I found the other one about three blocks away at a friend’s house. He was 7 years old. During that half hour of not knowing where they were, I was terrified at the possibilities of what could have happened to them.

At the age of 12, Jesus disappeared on his parents as well. But they were a day’s journey away before they knew he was missing. That can happen when you’re traveling in a larger group of people and your 12-year-old likes to hang out with friends. But Mary and Joseph had three whole days to be terrified as they retraced their steps to see if they could find him. Can you imagine explaining to God that you lost his Son whom he had entrusted into your care? I’m sure God had his angels surrounding Jesus at all times. But it doesn’t appear that the angels sat down with Mary every night to go over the next day of caring for Jesus. Mary and Joseph were real people with real responses to situations and in this situation, I believe they were pretty anxious.

“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’ ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked, ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” Luke 2:46-50

It took Mary and Joseph three days to think about looking at the temple courts. Didn’t they know they were raising God’s Son and he needed to teach rabbis and teachers of the law? Yes, it says he was “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” Luke 2:46 But then it says, “Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:47 So apparently, he was doing more than listening and asking questions. He likely was asking the kind of questions that made them dig deeper for answers and got them to thinking about things from a different angle. In fact, they were so into this discussion that they were probably not aware three days had gone by. Jesus may have been saying, “Hey guys, I have to go. My parents will be wondering where I am.” And they would be saying, “Just one more question,” because they wanted so badly to hear what he would say.

I wonder why Mary and Joseph were ‘astonished’ to find him in the temple talking with the rabbis and teachers of the law. While we are not told this in Scripture, Jesus must have been in Hebrew School from the time he was about 6 years old. He would have memorized the Torah and would already be in the practice of asking questions so the rabbis could teach. Surely his local rabbi would have told Mary and Joseph how amazing he was as a student. So why would they have been astonished to find him in the temple and why would it have taken them three days to think to look there?

I’m thinking maybe Jesus was a pretty normal child and glad to get out of school and go play with his friends. Maybe up to that point Jesus had not spoken up so much but observed a lot, getting to know how the people thought and what they believed. Maybe even as he was storing tons of knowledge and information inside through those years, he had not appeared to be a precocious child. And maybe God needed Jesus to have three days to teach the teachers! They may have been much more open to learning from a 12-year-old child than they were 20 years later when he was trying to teach them new ways to look at things. I wonder how many of these rabbis and teachers of the law were around when Jesus went into the temple and threw over the money changers’ tables or challenged their practices and if they remembered their discussions with him during those three days.

“But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:51-52 Once her heart slowed down, Mary treasured the knowledge that her Son was in his “Father’s House”. Luke 2:49 It was another confirmation for her that he was indeed the Son of God. What other 12-year-old boy would have hung out at the temple questioning and answering rabbis for three whole days, amazing them with his understanding?

Listed in Ecclesiastes 3 with the time for everything is “…a time to search and a time to give up…” and “…a time to be silent and a time to speak…” Mary and Joseph had their time to search and Jesus had his time to speak. I’m so grateful that Luke recorded this little piece of biography on Jesus as a child. Because little is said in Scripture about his growing up years, we tend to think he was born and then he was 30. We forget that Mary and Joseph had those same somewhat anxious years of every parent when we are protective, we care for physical needs, and we teach our children. We try to keep them out of trouble and keep them safe. And Mary ponders and treasures these moments.

They searched until they found him. And today, people still search for him – not because he is lost, but because they left him behind when they went on their detour in life. And when they find him, they are astonished that he was there all the time!