Temptation: Will You Take The Bait?

During Lent, the sermons will focus on a series of photographs by Rochester photographer Dave Burnet. The first image is of waves crashing on the rocks of the Lake Superior coast, taken in Presque Island National Park, in Marquette Michigan.  This is the sermon that accompanied the photo.

Looking at the picture.  

Waves on Lake Superior, Presque Isle, MI (c) Dave Burnet

          What do you see? The waves. The seaweed waving in the water as it flows in and out. The spray as it hits the rocks. The sea urchins and moss on the rocks. Seagulls flying overhead.  The trees that stand above it all.  The watermarks at the hightide places. The water packed sand.  The starfish and horseshoe crabs that have washed up.  The driftwood caught in the rocks. The clouds.  The calmer water further off.

Are the waves beautiful or threatening?

Where is the safest place to be standing?

          Note the rock in the middle that is flat and stands above it all

Would your perspective be different up on top of the cliff, at the edge where the water is pounding, or out in the harbor, away from the shore?  What about what’s to the right? Is there a calm beach further in, where the waves are just lapping at the shore?

          You’re standing there and what do you hear—thunderous sound of the waves, crashing of the water, the wind, the seagulls.

          What do you feel—the seaspray, the wind, the coolness of the air next to the water

          What do you smell—the brine, the seaweed, the wet rocks

And you ask yourself: is this a test?

Is the water testing you to see how much you, and the shore can bear?

Is it offering something to you?

Or taking something from you?

There is so much to the ocean, to the edge of the shore, to the way nature moves that we can not control or understand

          Does that feel beautiful or overwhelming?

Asking these questions in order to get a glimpse into what’s happening in today’s scripture.

Jesus is being tested by the Devil.  And that testing is all about the Devil saying prove to me who you are, and prove to me who you are not.

          Are you the son of God? Then make something into what it is not.  Make this stone into bread. Make these rocks into smooth spaces for the water.

          Are you the son of God? I will give you the glory and the authority of the kingdoms of the world. I will give you all the power stored up in those waves, and in those clouds, I will give you the hard strength of the rocks and the strength of the trees.

Are you the Son of God? Then walk into those waves and let them overtake you, let your angels save you from your frailty.

And Jesus, standing on the shore, or at the top of the cliff, or even looking back at the shore, does not take the bait.

Jesus lets the water be, he lets the rocks be, he lets the trees and the clouds and all of it be. He doesn’t turn the bread to stone. He doesn’t fall for the power trip of ruling the kingdoms,  he doesn’t dive off the cliff and ask the angels to save him.  Why? Because none of those things matter to Jesus.

You see, there is a difference between being tested and being tempted.

testing is outside of us. We test others to have them prove themselves. We test them to see where they are weak.  Think of how a lawyer examines a witness—looking for the holes in the defense.

          The devil wanted to know whether Jesus would take the bait.  But Jesus didn’t.

          And here’s the thing.  It wasn’t that Jesus was tempted—notice how ready his replies were.  For  Jesus it was simple: he didn’t see it as a test. These things weren’t tempting to him.  You can only be tempted if the thing being offered to you is something you were already internally oriented to want.

So let me give you another example. Most people, if you ask them, will say they either prefer sweet things or salty things.  If you put a piece of chocolate cake in front of a person who likes salty things, they’ll let it sit there all day.  In the same way, people who like sweet things don’t care at all about chips or french fries.  They could go mold for all that sweets person would care. You know who you are!

Temptation is from within us.  It’s our reaction to something that we like, want, or even think we need.  Even when we know that the thing that tempts us isn’t good for us, it will still turn our head.  The devil thought he had what Jesus wanted because he was offering Jesus the things that normally would turn a human’s head: food, power, and the proof that we couldn’t be hurt. 

          And Jesus says, with God, none of those things are our worry. With God, all of those things will be provided.  So therefore, not deal on all of those tests.

          Jesus is standing on the shore, looking at the chaos, and sheer power swirling around him, and he’s looking beyond to the calm of the water and the majesty of the clouds, and understanding that what matters to him is bigger.

          Each of us has something that tempts us.  Many things, in fact.  And how do we respond? Do we wade into the water and risk the rocks and being swept under? Do we scramble up onto the cliff and watch, spellbound, from a safe distance away? Or do we walk away from the shore entirely, and simply focus on the dry land elsewhere? In each case we think about the things we are tempted to do and how we say no. We focus on how not to be consumed by the power of it, and we say no with courage and with hope.

          Today, however, I think the scripture is inviting us to go a little deeper.  I want to add one other thing to the scene. Something that is not there yet.  Imagine there is a raft there, with refugees trying to get to shore. 

          Then the picture changes. Then, in order to get them safe, we know we have to at least consider risking our own safety.  Do we do it?  Or do we stand back and think about all the ways we could be hurt, all the ways in which we might not succeed, all the things we have to lose.  How are we then tempted?

Sometimes, God calls us to do things we don’t want to do, and we’re tempted to say no.  We’re tempted to think about all the things we do not have, all the tools and the strength and the skills that have left us. And we throw our hands up, and say, “Not me, Lord. I can’t make it my problem.”

The seas are too rough, I don’t have any way of pulling them in, I’m not strong enough, those people don’t look to friendly…what if they rob me once we get to shore?

And we can hem and haw, and explain, and excuse, and deny, and blame all manner of reasons why we can’t go in….but the truth is, it’s because we don’t trust ourselves and trust God enough to get us through.

So now, as you look at this picture…think about what God is calling you to, and how many times you have said no because it was easier or you thought it was safer than saying yes.  Don’t let your fear overwhelm you.  Because when you do that, you test God.  Jesus says today, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”  If he’s calling you to something, then don’t let your temptations take you away from him.  Trust him and know that these waves, these rocks, these clouds are as much a part of God the love and strength and confidence that our Lord has in you to follow him.

Temptation is your invitation to see where God is calling you to something more….so stand on that shore and listen. And see where God takes you next.

Amen.