Mark 1:9-15
Real
Temptations
I
never asked my parents, but if I had, I think they would have been partial to
Mark's version of the story of Jesus' temptation. There is a rendition of this story in each of
the synoptic gospels but only in Mark do we learn that during Jesus' forty days
in the wilderness was he in the company of wild beasts. I believe this is the version my parents
would have preferred, because they were forever warning me about hanging out
with wild beasts. I don’t mean
critters in the woods. I am talking
about the boys and the fast cars which seemed to be forever parked behind the
Cat Square dance hall. They warned me
about those wild beasts and what
could happen to me if I spent time around them.
I guess it was/I guess it still is
appropriate for the parents of a teenage son to think such thoughts. Certainly, there is a lot of temptation which
comes into the life of a young man through those with whom he associates. But the temptations which ultimately threaten
to undo us are not those which come to us by way of some wild beast - rather it is the temptations which arise from
within. Our greatest struggle isn't the
avoidance of inappropriate actions - rather it is the temptation to ignore God
- whose very presence brings to us life and hope.
Matthew and Luke are more helpful in
drawing this distinction. In those two
Gospel accounts we have further information as to the precise temptations that
Jesus experiences during these 40 days.
The temptations, as specified in those versions of the story, allow us
to see that Jesus' temptation involves more than breaking some cardinal rules
or putting God to a silly test. Jesus is
tempted to turn this whole thing in its head, moving in a direction that would
have nothing to do with the hopes and expectations of God.
It is an oversimplification of the
concept of sin and transgression when we limit our understanding of these to some
sort of a divinely established no-no list.
We lose a grasp of what matters when we begin to think that the task of
a faithful person is merely the avoidance of certain thoughts and
behaviors.
I understand where this kind of
thinking starts. I have passed through
these very phases of understanding as I have tried to raise my children in the
way of the Lord. As young adults,
they are now capable of what they couldn’t understand earlier in life. They may now be able to understand that when
you multiply the number of teenagers in a car, the opportunity for an accident
goes up. When they had first started
driving, they didn’t understand this. At
that point, all they knew (all that we drilled into their heads) was that they
were not to have anyone in the car with them unless we had given approval. As young adults, they might be able to
understand the reasoning. As children,
we only concerned them with the rule.
Simplifying the notion of sin and
transgression is necessary when we are dealing with the immature. Identifying sin and transgression with the
avoidance of particular behaviors makes it easier for the newer members of
God’s family. Not breaking the rules is
where we begin. But such a simplistic
view never allows us to fully grasp the whole of God's hope and expectation for
us.
Let's work our way through a few
examples: Take the Old Testament
prohibition of eating pork. Any student
of microbiology can tell you that this isn't such a bad rule for those who were
living without the convenience of a convection oven. I do not want to say that the only reason for
God telling the Hebrews not to eat pork was the treat of trichinosis, but
avoiding it make a lot of sense for this primitive culture. How are you going to explain microorganisms
to a culture that has never even thought of a microscope? If you can't explain the reason - setting up
a law and expecting folks to abide by it is the next best thing. God's prohibition against eating pork allows
God's chosen people to grow stronger and live longer in the land that God was
giving them.
Similar good reasons can be found
for the sixth the commandment: Thy
shall not commit adultery. A better
translation of the original Hebrew words would read: Thy shall not mess up thy brother's seed. In a culture in which incest was not
forbidden, the people of Israel were at a great advantage because of rules
which would reduce the illnesses associated with such practices. Human genetics were a mystery to the tribes
of Jacob - a simple rule regarding parenting made them a stronger nation.
Rules or laws almost always have
some good reasoning behind them. Living
by the rules is generally good for us.
During those phases of our lives when we are incapable of understanding
the purpose for the laws, merely obeying often results in a better and fuller
life. The fullness of God's hope and
expectation for us begins to be realized as we accept from God the gift of
God's care. Not breaking some rule is
where we begin. The place we hope to get
to is an awareness that avoiding temptation is primarily concerned with
aligning ourselves with God’s hope for our lives.
When Jesus had completed his forty
days in the wilderness, he returns to Galilee and begins to proclaim the
good news of God ... saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God has come near." He had come
to understand that avoidance of temptation means allowing oneself to be aligned
with the hopes and expectations God has for us.
The forty days of Lent are set aside
as a parallel to Jesus' forty days. We
spend this season of the church year reflecting upon our sinfulness. This is a good place to start, but I fear that
far too many of us are spending these days trying to remember every time that
we took the Lord's name in vain or coveted our neighbor's flat screen TV. I would hate to think that during our weekly
brief order for confession and forgiveness the only sins which come to mind
involve a lustful look at the person who jogs along the streets of our neighborhood.
These forty days of Lent can be said
to parallel Jesus' forty days in the desert only if through them we come to a
deeper understanding of what it means to transgress against our God.
Temptation and sin have very little
to do with a divine no-no list and a whole lot more to do with understanding
God's love for us.
The Lenten journey is not a process
for removing from our lives any and all transgressions. Rather it is a time for us to re-direct our
lives and live in accordance with God's hopes and expectations for us.
Ask God to help you identify the
transgressions for which you need to confess.
But also ask God to guide you as you envision the future which God has
for you.
Amen.
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