“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them…” Luke 4:5
Satan harbors an inflated view of his authority. First he tries to tempt Jesus to change a rock into bread. Then he promises Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world, which he believes are his to control. All he asks is that Jesus worship him.
It’s rather ironic. Jesus actually holds the keys to those kingdoms, because of his union with the Father. But his humility keeps him from exercising that authority. Instead of lording himself over people, seeking to manipulate and control them, he puts himself at their mercy. Even to the point of giving his life on the cross.
As we saw last week, Jesus knew who he was – God’s beloved son. Being secure in his identity, he lives as a servant. In his weakness, he is strong. Strong enough to resist Satan and his temptations.
We aren’t Jesus, but what authority has God entrusted to us? We might be a parent, seeking to mold and shape our children into followers of Christ. If we exercise control harshly, they may rebel or react. So too if we are in a position of leadership in a work, church, or volunteer environment. Or we might not think of ourselves as leaders. Yet when we put the needs of others ahead of our own, we reflect Jesus’ love, grace, and gentleness.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you showed supreme humility when you died on the cross in my place. Thank you for your loving sacrifice. Amen.
“Do you really think you’re a writer?” In my journey of stepping in to being a writer, having been an editor for decades, I would sometimes hear this question in my head – through self-doubt, or through how I interpret criticism, or perhaps even from the evil one. My path to becoming a writer has been long, for only after many years as an editor did I venture into writing – and then with fear. And yet being an author forms part of my identity – as well as being an editor, and more importantly as God’s beloved, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend…
Here Satan starts his series of temptations by questioning Jesus’s identity, saying, “If you are the Son of God, then…” He’s asking Jesus to prove who – and whose – he is, even though I’m guessing the devil already knew the answer.
How different are the words of God the Father. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, a voice from heaven says that this is God’s son whom he loves (Matthew 3:17). And later, when Jesus and two of his disciples are praying on a mountain and Jesus radiates God’s glory (the transfiguration), similarly a voice says, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:34). God’s words affirm Jesus’ core identity, while Satan’s seek to undermine it.
Might there be parts of your identity that you have yet to accept?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your words of love and that we are your children. May we never waver from our central identity as your beloved. Amen.
Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness (Jésus tenté dans le désert) by James Tissot – Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum
Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. (Luke 4:2)
When I refrain from eating, I can become snappy and irritable. A little hunger in my belly can turn my mood sour. Add some tiredness and I can morph into someone you’d best avoid.
I like this little verse tucked in the story – that Jesus became very hungry. Though he must’ve been radiating love after spending time alone with his Father, he still felt the pangs of an empty stomach. And yet he doesn’t fall prey to the foul moods I can feel when I miss only a meal.
Paying attention to the needs of our bodies and eating properly will help us control our physical hunger. But sometimes our spiritual or emotional pangs turn our eating into an act of seeking comfort. We stuff ourselves mindlessly with sweet or salty concoctions in the quest to quell the unmet needs inside. (Or some other kind of self-soothing behavior, whether it be drinking, shopping, workaholism…)
And yet Jesus wants to meet all of those needs. He said later, when teaching the crowds who sought him out after he fed the thousands, that he is the bread of life, and that all who eat of him will never go hungry (John 6:35). This day, may we ask him to be our bread, satisfying our hunger that we might live for him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you dwell in your followers. May your presence bring comfort, hope, and love, that we might reach out to a needy world. Amen.
Time for a new devotional series! I’ve loved reading Dallas Willard’s books, and also one that came out shortly after he died, Eternal Living: Reflections on Dallas Willard’s Teaching on Faith and Formation. Dallas stressed the importance of memorizing Scripture and of rereading the gospels, pondering them and chewing them over so that we would become more like our Master, Jesus. Here’s a series on Luke 4:1-13, to help us in that quest.
1Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
3Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
4But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
5Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6“I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”
8Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
9Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. 11And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
12Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
13When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
“Brooklyn Museum – Jesus Ministered to by Angels (Jésus assisté par les anges) – James Tissot – Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum
[Jesus] was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil… Luke 4:1-2
Ever heard the adage, “I can resist anything but temptation”? We might smile wryly but then nod, thinking of the secret indiscretions we allow ourselves – the extra chocolate truffle, the bitterness we cling to, the envious glance at our neighbor. Or if we give in to temptation, we might eschew responsibility: “The devil made me do it!”
But Jesus shows us a better way. In the passage we are looking at during this series, we see him resist Satan; instead he follows God’s commands for right living. Jesus was fully man and could have fallen prey to Satan’s whispers. But he doesn’t. Filled with the Holy Spirit and recounting the word of God, he speaks truth to Satan’s lies, showing them to be flimsy and empty.
And look at the highlighted words in this week’s text – God actually leads Jesus into this temptation. God not only allowed the devil to tempt Jesus, but seems to have set up the meeting. For Jesus in avoiding sin becomes the new Adam, the One through whom we may enjoy life abundant. The first Adam, when he and Eve gave into Satan’s temptations and ate the forbidden fruit, brought about death. But Jesus through his sacrifice on the cross brings life. As we become alive in Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:22), we receive the power and self-control even to resist Satan. Now that’s good news for today!
Prayer: Father God, please endow me with the fruits of your Spirit. Help me to praise you with my lips and in my life. Amen.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:14–18)
Paul was writing his letter to the Ephesians while in chains, so a Roman soldier may have been standing next to him, decked out in his full armor. Paul employed this military imagery and also drew on the language of battles in the Old Testament, in particular Isaiah. For example, in Isaiah 11:5, the Messiah has righteousness as his belt and faithfulness as the sash round his waist. Righteousness is also his breastplate in Isaiah 59:17, along with the helmet of salvation. And the “feet fitted with the readiness…” hearken back to Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…”
Paul’s use of this imagery is much more memorable than if he had said, “Stand firm with truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the word of God and prayer.” Indeed, I know of one minister who before she goes into a potentially fraught or difficult meeting, prepares by putting on each piece of armor, complete with the physical motions. By doing so she reclaims the Lord’s resources that she needs to stand against any evil forces while she seeks to usher in the gospel of peace and righteousness.
Paul’s instructions, as with his whole letter, are not just for individual believers but for us as a community. We are strengthened as we stand together, holding our shields of faith against the flaming arrows of the evil one. While doing so, we pray for ourselves and for all the Lord’s people, that we might stand firm in him.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for this journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. May your words of truth permeate our beings, that we might bring you glory.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:15–21).
Many modern translations of today’s passage lose the original structure. They start a new section at verse 21 (“Submit to one another…”) instead of having verses 18–21 as one sentence, as they are in the Greek (starting with “Do not get drunk…”). When we understand how the text fits together, according to Klyne Snodgrass in The NIV Application Commentary, we see that Paul is telling his readers five ways to be filled by the Spirit: speak to one another with psalms, sing, make music, give thanks, submit to one another in fear of Christ.
Why does this matter? As Snodgrass says, “Failure to understand the structure has made this section one of the most misappropriated texts in the Bible” (p. 286). The “house codes” that follow about how wives and husbands, children, and parents, slaves and masters should treat each other all fall under the command of mutual submission under Christ. Because we live in holy fear of God, we submit to each other. This entails humility, sacrificial love, and putting others above ourselves.
As we cast away our old selves and put on the new, we may live a life controlled not by wine, but by the Spirit. The careful living that Paul describes entails the filling of the Holy Spirit, that we might be empowered to act in a holy way that is pleasing to God. Through his Spirit we can sing, make music, give thanks – and submit to others.
For reflection: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:5–8).
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the Lord’s people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God… For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:3–5, 8–10)
Leo Tolstoy posed an age-old question in his 1886 short story: “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” His protagonist is bitten by the land bug; once he completes one purchase, he seeks out the next deal. Then one day he is given a chance to stake out as much land as he can cover by foot, as long as he returns to the starting point by sundown. He greedily runs farther and farther, only turning back when he realizes the sun is setting. He makes it back to the starting point just in time, but drops dead from exhaustion. How much land does a man need? Just six feet for a grave.
Paul knows that greed, when left unchecked, can grow and flourish like a weed. He wants to stamp out even a hint of it, along with other sins such as sexual immorality and obscenity. Sexual sin was rife in biblical times, including prostitution, sexual misuse of slaves, and promiscuity. Our culture, too, remains sex-craved and sex-saturated. We are not immune; impurity can enter our minds and bodies like a worm, growing ever stronger as it feeds on our fleshly desires.
No longer can we dwell in that darkness; now we are actually light in the Lord. Light dispels the darkness, so as we live before, in, and through Christ, we will glow in his holy light. And we will bear the fruit Paul mentions, namely goodness, righteousness, and truth.
May we be content with his riches, not desiring more than he has chosen to bequeath to us.
Prayer: Lord, give me peace in your presence, and help me to be content.
I’ve been taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog as my wonderful web designer, Tina Grobler, and I chop and change things around. It’s still a work in progress, but let’s get back to Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor… “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Those who have been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands… Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up… And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:25–32, abridged)
After exploring theological concepts, such as how we live in Christ, Paul turns to a practical set of instructions as he continues teaching on the old versus the new. Each of these commands, as John Stott says in his commentary God’s New Society, addresses our relationships. Holiness does not occur in a vacuum, but in the real world we inhabit with those around us.
Stott also shows how each of the commands starts off with a negative prohibition, followed with a positive action. For example, do not lie, but speak the truth to your neighbor. Have righteous anger, but don’t nurse your anger. Stop stealing; make your hands useful by working. Don’t speak unkindly, but build others up with your words. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit, for you are sealed with him. Eradicate any bitterness, rage, fighting, and malice; instead be kind and filled with compassion as you forgive each other.
Old habits can die hard; we need God’s grace and help to change our ways. Today why not take Paul’s list and ask God to help you change just one thing. Adjust your expense report to make it reflect reality. Instead of tearing down your spouse or friend, pay them a compliment. Ask the Lord to give you compassion for someone who annoys you.
May God help us live out of our new selves as we put off the old.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes I speak before I think about what I’m saying. Reign in my tongue, that I might bring glory to you.
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned… You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:17–20, 22–24)
Photo: Prayitno on flickr
When I started a job as a acquisitions/commissioning editor in London, I was overwhelmed by the many new things to learn. Some were obvious, such as the names of colleagues, a different computer system, unfamiliar publications. Some, however, lurked below the surface, such as the working culture, personalities and relationships, expectations and emotions. I returned home those early days utterly exhausted. But before long, my new editorial life felt comfortable and familiar.
Here Paul is urging his readers to leave their old lives of sin behind. Though the new converts were still living next to the Gentiles, they were not to mimic their actions or their hardness of heart. Instead, they were to put on their new self, in which they would reflect God’s righteousness and holiness.
Paul speaks of the old and new selves throughout his letters. To name a few: Romans 6:6: “…our old self was crucified with him…”; Colossians 3:9: “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self…”; Romans 13:14: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” Employing this baptismal language, he yearns that the new believers would commit themselves fully to the ways of Christ, leaving greed and impurity behind.
What do we need to leave behind from our old selves? A not-too-edifying television drama? A spirit of complaining? A lack of thankfulness? Join me in asking the Lord to illuminate those areas where we are corrupted, that our minds and hearts may be renewed.
Prayer: Lord, we want to be made clean and holy. Help us to embrace the new life you are forming in us.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1–6)
Up until this week’s text, Paul has not given correction or made demands on his readers. Then in just a few lines, he lays out a series of directives for right living. Because Christ has made his home within us and we are rooted in his love, we are able to live in a way that brings glory to him. Namely being humble, gentle, and patient, putting up with others in love and seeking to keep unity.
Today these attributes are counter-cultural. Humbleness can be seen as weakness, as an invitation for others to run riot over us. Gentleness can disappear like a vapor in the rough and tumble of life, as we rush from one important matter to the next. Patience wears thin when we have too many demands and feel inadequate. Selfishness often supersedes loving each other. And unity breaks down at the first whiff of conflict.
And yet, this is what we are called to and what we are equipped for with Christ at our center. We were made for others, and only experience the true riches of Christ when we live in community. Here we work out our faith, sometimes with fear and trembling. If we pause in the heat of the moment, reflecting that Christ lives within, we can apportion his grace to make us gentle and loving as we put our fellows before ourselves.
As you seek the one God and Father, the one Lord and the one Spirit, may you have hope and faith in him who is over, through and in all.
For reflection: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3–4).
