February 26, 2023

Suggested Readings

Romans 5:12-19

Matthew 4:1-11

one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all

The gift of Jesus is the gift of life. Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 relates the story of the temptation and fall of human beings. Paul uses the ancient story to compare the gift of salvation juxtaposed with the failure and sin of human beings. It is Paul’s understanding that sin came into the world because of the failure of one person to respect and adhere to the law of God. The opposite of that failure is the gift of righteousness which also came into the world through one man, Jesus Christ. The difference is one man’s failure led to the introduction of sin, while the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus leads to the gift of salvation.

Matthew 4 contains the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Jesus’ wilderness experience is the result of being led by the Spirit. In this wilderness testing Jesus was faced with a decision about how he would proceed in fulfilling his ministry. The temptations came when he was physically tired and hungry. The tempter knew when, in his humanity, Jesus would be most vulnerable.

A voice from heaven (3:17) declared Jesus to be God’s Son and the tempter used this declaration to tempt Jesus to do something that is actually a good deed; that is, feed the hungry. In the feeding of the 5000 Jesus will provide bread for hungry people. However, in this instance it is a case of using his power to satisfy his own need rather than relying on God to provide for his needs.  Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 which states, He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Jesus does not take orders from Satan but places his trust in God.

The scene moves to the pinnacle of the temple where the tempter quotes Psalm 91:11-12 to coax Jesus to jump from its great height. Jesus is quick to respond that God is not a 911 call to be used by human beings when a crisis arises. Citing Deuteronomy 6:16, Do not put the Lord your God to the test, . . . Jesus refused to take the bait.

In the third temptation Satan offered Jesus control of all the “empires of the world.” This startling temptation indicates the control of Satan over the world through secular empires such as Rome. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus declares, All, authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Jesus’ authority has come from God, not Satan. And it has come through obedience to God’s commands, not worship of Satan, or the secular structures of the world.

Jesus successfully resisted the temptations of the devil and set out the course he would follow throughout his ministry.

The writer to the Hebrews states, For, we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin (4:15). Jesus identified with sinful humanity through baptism and temptation but remained faithful to the call and commission of God. Jesus is thus uniquely qualified to be the high priest, who stands between sinful humans and a holy God, providing an opportunity for salvation and abundant life.

Therefore, Paul can write that one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all (Romans 5:18). That one man is Jesus the Christ, who led by God’s Spirit, overcame the lure of the world, was totally obedient and opened the way to God to all who believe.

The story of Jesus’ temptation forms the framework of our Lenten journey. For forty days we commit ourselves to fasting and prayer, to the reading of scripture, and discerning the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a journey of spiritual transformation, not to be taken lightly, but reverently in presence of God.

Prayer:
Spirit of God, lead me on the path of righteousness. When I’m tired, thirsty, and want to succumb to the pressures of the world around me, lead me beside cool waters and verdant pastures. When my path takes me through the darkest of valleys, hold me tightly by your side. My prayer is to live in your presence all the days of my life. Amen.