Temptation in The Desert

Pete Gdula, 2/21/2010
Temptation seems to be everywhere in my life, most of all where I least want it to be but also where I’m most likely to find it. There is the temptation to turn on the TV when I should be studying or reading. There’s a temptation from the snack food that calls out my name in the last two hours of every night right before I go to bed. And there’s even a temptation to log into Face Book half way through a draft of a sermon I’m finishing several nights before I preach. All of these seem quite trivial, but they are little nuisances that – if given attention to - can turn a time of production into a time of waste. One quick game of bubble spin turns into a complete renovation of my café… if you don’t know what I’m talking about you may just be better off not knowing.
Yes, those are just a handful of minor issues. But if I allow the minor issues to control my life, and interfere with progress, peace, and real attentiveness to everyday actions; how am I handling the big temptations in my life and where am I turning my attention to when encountered with the “really big stuff” that disrupts my intentions? Am I programming myself for failure and an easy target for much larger mistakes by succumbing to an occasional midnight trip to Sheetz for a bag of m&ms or a cinnamon bun with cream cheese icing? I try to move forward, taking these little things I think do me harm and give them up during lent as a means of making progress on my spiritual journey. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing or minimizing anyone’s true and honest intentions of how lent is treated. After all, it is one step at a time, one day at a time that we move forward to conquer the things in our lives that might keep us from having a richer or fuller life than we can ever dream of. But what happens when we are confronted with the obstacles we encounter along the way of progression? Do we stand upright in honor of our courage and move forward into the unknown? Or is it much easier to turn back to the comfort and familiar areas of life and living than it is to venture into the unknown and begin anew. This is where we enter today’s gospel and bring it to life. In the entering into the unknown, the desert, the wilderness, this new and unfamiliar place is filled with every uncertainty under the sun. A place not just of unfamiliar territory, but a place where we have no idea how long we have to stay there.
After being baptized Jesus spent 40 days in the desert or wilderness. Moses wandered the wilderness for 40 years. Noah floated around in an ark for 40 days. We spend 40 days in the season of Lent preparing for the resurrection at Easter. It doesn’t take long to see that the number 40 here is neither random nor literal, but symbolic of the period of time it takes to complete a journey and make a transformation. However, not just any journey, but a very long one. And not just long, but a journey which is filled with trials, testing, and much need of mental, physical and spiritual strength and fortitude. Look at the Hebrews as they were tempted to return to Egypt because they were tired of having to gather food and water for themselves every day. They knew their past meant bondage and slavery but being held captive also meant not having to worry about being fed, where they were to sleep or if they had clothes to wear. It was all back there waiting for them. And for quite a long while returning to familiar territory – no matter how unappealing the known restrictions were - appeared quite attractive to them. But in the end, Moses was able to convince them to continue and although he did not complete the journey with them, further trials were met and conquered that allowed them to achieve their goal.
Now Luke brings all of the history of Israel into the present by giving us a vivid account of what Jesus went through after being filled with the spirit. The text we have is presented in one manner as an account to bear witness to Jesus’ divinity and also an account of His faith being tested. By the way, thanks to a sermon delivered a few years ago by one Father Ed, I learned this passage can also be a testament that overturns any notion that there is a gospel of material wealth and prosperity. Because in the verses, who is it that is offering fame, fortune, and glory? Let us think about that for a moment. Those things are not evil in themselves. But to accept worldly, material luxuries as ours to own under the circumstances of giving up a relationship with God might have some bearing in how we manage the rest of our lives from that point on AND every other situation we are presented with.
Most of the spare time I had in my life was spent coaching sports, whether it was intramural sports teams such as softball and volleyball, or high school athletics like track and field. The thing I spent the most time on with the athletes in each age group and ability level was basic fundamentals of the game. Not a practice went by where we didn’t spend time on at least one aspect of the basics of that event. And it paid dividends over and over because by having a solid foundation on which to work, when the difficult situations arose where the excitement builds up and fear can set in because when we entered unfamiliar territory, what brought about success and achievement was the faith in their selves established from knowing they had already passed many trials in their previous journey. It was a long journey filled with many errors and mistakes, but perseverance and not retreat resulted in passing the tests and trials.
And such is the life we live. Most of us are not athletes trying to get rid of bad habits through the use of repetitions with the basics. Most of us are not on an intense spiritual journey requiring us to mold the minutes of our lives with rules of discipline, order and conduct. But we are concerned with how we treat our neighbors. We are concerned with those in our midst who need our help and assistance. We are concerned with injustices and wrongs against humanity. And as we begin Lent, it is our concern that we look for more ways to search ourselves for a better way to become closer to God. That way is found in many forms by following Christ Jesus. Yesterday at our Lenten retreat we discussed different ways we follow Christ and how they could help or hinder our nearness to God. This afternoon we will venture into a way that has been used since the 3rd century, but popularized and brought out of Jerusalem and into the world’s churches by a group of monks who called themselves “The Brothers Minor”, the original Franciscan Friars. It is called Stations (or Way) of The Cross, a brief but intense devotion to Jesus during his final trial. I hope you’ll join us immediately after coffee hour, and allow yourself to be open to the same spirit that filled Jesus and led him into the desert during his 40 days of trial and temptation, as we take another step in allowing Him to get closer to us.