Lent: Pride of Life

This post is the second in the series of sermons on the three temptations of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, juxtaposed with 1 John 2:16. The first sermon, Desires of the Flesh, highlighted the fact that the tempter appeals to our basic human appetites and needs to lead us to sin. Because the temptations are related to our human appetites and needs, they are actually difficult to discern and overcome.

This second sermon will deal with the second temptation of Jesus Christ, which John referred to as “the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Matthew 4:5-7, ESV, records the second temptation:

The devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

One of the lessons I have never forgotten is from my Doctrine of Holiness class from fifteen years ago. Rev. Randy Lingenfelter commented that everyone has pride. The fact that we check ourselves in the mirror before leaving our homes reveals that we want to appear presentable to other people. He said that this is an evidence of pride. I agree with him. Everyone possesses a lingering amount of pride. This means that pride is not altogether evil. Without pride, we would all be dirty and smelly. In the first temptation of Jesus Christ, Satan appealed to His human basic appetites and needs. In the second temptation, Satan again appealed to our human sense of dignity.

In the Syriac and Arabic manuscripts, the translation is “the pride of the age.” What is it that drives people today? What do people want to achieve in life right now? What characterizes success today? It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is a feeling of unrest and un-accomplishment among peoples of the world today. This is partly because we compare ourselves to others, resulting in self-pity, discontentment, and careless busyness. But it is also partly because we live as people trying to feed our pride.

In 2015, the estimated annual income of Filipino families is Php267,000.00. If compared to 2006, when the annual average income was Php173,000.00, there was actually a 35% increase over the last ten years. But do Filipinos feel as if they are wealthier and are saving more? I highly doubt it. There is a widespread discontent and desire for more. People still feel that they are poor, but why? Dewi Hughes is right: “The widespread consumerism and materialism of the culture—expressed above all in our incessant advertising—seduces many people into making extravagant decisions about major purchases like houses and cars and smaller things like recreation, eating out, vacations, etc.; and the result is that most families are financially pressed in spite of enormous wealth.”[1] In short, people feel that they are poor because they are proud. They want to compete with their neighbors and friends, because their pride won’t allow them to not enjoy the same things the people they know are enjoying. Once, a salesman became very successful by using one line to sell to his customers: “Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn't afford.”

Temptation about Public Life

Interestingly, temptations related to the pride of life are temptations that involve our public life. Most of the times, we are tempted in relation to our private lives, and we want to hide the sins that we do. People watch pornographic videos while doors are locked and the curtains are closed. Shoplifters steal very discreetly. Big time robberies are committed by people wearing masks. Corrupt politicians stealing the government money do so in secret, making sure to remove trails leading to them. When people commit fornication and adultery, they do so in a carefully planned way so that they remain hidden from the world. Sins of lust are committed in secret or in the dark.

But the temptations related to the pride of life are different. These are public sins. We do them while others are around, inviting everyone to see them. They are things done in the open. This is the temptation to show off what we already have. First, it is the temptation to display one’s glory and achievements. In Filipino homes and offices, it is not uncommon to see certificates, diplomas, trophies and medals hanging in walls, displayed for everyone to see. This has a name: “The WOW! Wall.” Honestly, I have never felt comfortable doing this, which is why I never put these things in display.

Secondly, it refers to the temptation to show off our wealth. A popular Filipino story I heard when I was young was about a young lady went to the market wearing a huge gold ring on her finger. She would intentionally raise her hands to point at things in the market in order to show off her ring. In one of the stores she entered, a merchant happily assisted her, but when the merchant realized that the lady was just showing off, he began to smile from ear to ear. The young lady was shocked, because she saw that all the teeth of the merchant was made of gold. Jeremiah 9:23 warns us about showing off: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches.” Thirdly, this also includes the temptation of public display of religiosity. Jesus warned His followers about this as well: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Matt 6:1).

The Greek word used in 1 John 2:16 is alazoneia, which means boasting. Boasting seems so simple, but why was it given that much attention in the temptations of Jesus Christ? Considering that there are other seemingly bigger sins out there, why would the second temptation be related to boasting? Is boasting really such a big thing? Paul actually writes the seriousness of this sin in Romans 1:28-30, “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents.” This means that boasting is a product of a debased mind or corrupted mentality. In short, boasting is done by crazy people! This is all the more so because if this temptation is related to the things we do in public, radical shamelessness is a necessary requirement if a person is to commit it.

Temptations about Power

Looking closely at the three temptations of Jesus, the second temptation is quite unique. The temptations related to the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes are related to things that Jesus did not have: food and wealth. Quite simply, Jesus was hungry and poor. But the second temptation is a temptation related to what Jesus already had. As the Son of God, He had the power and capacity to call for angels to help Him. Satan was right. In fact, the whole temptation narrative actually ends with a note that angels did come to help Him: “the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (Matt 4:11).

So what is the temptation all about? The temptation about the pride of life is related to the things that we already have, and we are tempted to show them or use them for our advantage. This is the temptation to use our authority, positions, social status, economic status in a way advantageous to us. There are many examples: a teacher using her authority to extort money from students, a policeman using his authority to accept bribes, a businessman using his money to evade the law and social responsibilities, a parent using his authority to abuse his children, a muscular student using his strength to bully other students, a leader using his power to siphon money from the company, a manager using his authority to delegate all works to his subordinates while he plays Clash of Clans at the office. The examples can go on and on.

Jesus refused to use His authority over the angels of heaven in order that He might have a graceful landing when He crazily jumps from a high place. He refused to take advantage of what He had at His disposal. Paul alludes to this characteristic of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV),

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant.

Temptation about Preponderance

Moreover, the second temptation of Jesus was also about enjoying more than what He was currently experiencing. Satan’s words can be paraphrased as: “You are not getting the treatment you deserve. Are you not interested in enjoying more benefits than what is currently available for you right now?” These are the whispers of the tempter to us as well: We deserve more. We deserve a better status. We deserve greater things than what we are enjoying right now. We deserve better!

This was the same tactic that Satan used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden: “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5, ESV). Satan was telling Eve that there was a better status and greater knowledge that was available for her. She deserved to enjoy greater benefits. The means to achieve greater knowledge was right there at the Garden, ready to be picked, so Eve did not really need to wait. The pride of life is the desire to have more than what we currently have. In essence, this is a good thing: the desire to be better is godly. But it is precisely this desire that Satan uses to appeal to us so that we might sin. 

The Israelites in the wilderness also fell because of this desire. They complained to Yahweh because they were hungry, and God provided them manna (Exo 16:1-36). But they soon got tired of eating manna, and began to complain again: “The rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at” (Numbers 11:4-6, ESV). Again, the desire was to enjoy life a little better. It is amazing how the simple desire for preponderance can lead many to sin.

Moses’ demise is also related to pride. He desired greater respect and honor. Numbers 20:2-12 records the story where because his authority and leadership were questioned by the Israelites, he decided to take the glory that should belong to God for himself. He was tempted to raise his status in the eyes of the Israelites by using God’s own miracle. This was why God told him: “because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel…   you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel” (Deut 32:51-52). Ironically, Moses’ desire for greater authority was precisely his downfall.

Why does Satan use this trick to tempt humanity? The answer is because this temptation is very effective even for the holy ones. In fact, this was the temptation that was actually potent even to Satan himself. It is so effective that Satan himself became a victim of this temptation. Isaiah 14:12-15 (ESV) writes:

“How you are fallen from heaven,
    O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground…
 You said in your heart,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
    I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
    in the far reaches of the north;
 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.’
 But you are brought down to Sheol,
    to the far reaches of the pit.”

It would do us a great deal to remember that the sin that resulted in Moses not receiving the fruits of his 40-year sacrifice and labor with the Israelites, the expulsion of Satan from heaven, and the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden came through the temptation to be better or have a better status in the eyes of people. 

Conclusions

The first temptation tells us that Satan appeals to our natural human appetites and basic human needs to lead to sin. The second temptation tells us that Satan appeals to our public image, to use what we already have, and our desire to be better. Make no mistake about it: to have a good face in public is good, to use whatever we have is good, and the desire to be better is good. But let us remember that all these three things can be and will be used by the tempter to tempt us to sin.

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[1] Hughes, “The Whole Church as a Transformed and Transforming Society,” 50.

Lent: Desires of the Flesh

Forty days of Lent is patterned after the forty days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness, which ended with the temptations of Satan. Although the whole season of Lent is meant to prepare us to commemorate Jesus’ sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, because of its relation to the temptations, Lent can also be observed as a time of reflection about our Christian journey and the temptations we face as we live in our own wildernesses.

The three temptations of Jesus represent humanity’s greatest temptations. We face these temptations on a daily basis. Jesus shows us that unless we are victorious over these temptations, we cannot effectively begin our ministries of sacrificial service. The wilderness is a place of tampering, so that we are prepared to carry our own crosses. The temptation narrative is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV), which was interpreted later on in 1 John 2:16

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”

Jesus faced three temptations, and they can be categorized in the light of 1 John 2:16 as the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. This post will only deal with the desires of the flesh, and is related to the first temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:2-4: “After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

It is Neutral!

The story says that Jesus stayed in the wilderness and fasted for forty days and forty nights. Naturally, he was very hungry. In the Philippines we often joke that when we are hungry, everything—including our seatmates—looks like yummy fried chicken. Beware of people staring at you with great intensity especially around 12 noon and six in the evening!

It is fascinating that food was chosen by Satan in the temptation of Jesus, of all the possible temptations he can devise. If John interprets the first temptation as related to the desires of flesh, why was temptation using food used as the prime example? If we are dealing with the desires of the flesh, there are other worse pleasures such as sexual desires. Paul enumerates some of the more common desires of flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, “the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” These are the big desires that plague humanity and it would have been helpful if Jesus’ temptations show us how Jesus overcame these big desires. Unfortunately, the temptation story has chosen to talk about food! God chose to talk about food.

So the question is: Why food? Temptations in relation to food sound so simple. In actuality, however, in the Bible, important turn of events have been influenced by people’s decisions and attitudes about food.

First, Adam and Eve disobeyed God because of food. Their simple act of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil changed the entire course of human history. It was because of eating that they were banished from the Garden. It was because of eating that death entered into the world. It was because of eating that humanity right now is suffering. In fact, because the first sin is about eating, the punishment of sin is also related to eating: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you… cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:17-19).

Secondly, iIf we look at the story of the Israelites, their first sin against God after being delivered from Egypt was related to food: “And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger’” (Exo 16:2-3). The Israelites became very impatient and doubted God’s abounding love because of lack of food and water in the wilderness. They questioned God’s intentions, God’s power, God’s provision, God’s integrity, and God’s concern form them—all because of food!

We cannot underestimate how something so apparently neutral can actually affect us, our decisions and actions. Sometimes we are mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with the big temptations related to sexual immorality, stealing, murder, anger, and others, but we are left vulnerable in the small and seemingly insignificant temptations in life. This is where Satan gets us: temptations in the seemingly ordinary facts of life like eating, sleeping, taking care of the body, work, etc.

It is Natural!

The first temptation of Jesus also points to the fact that Satan appeals to humans’ natural appetites and desires. To have human appetites and desires is not wrong. Sexual desire is not inherently wrong. To be hungry is not wrong. In fact, the desire to eat is good. These human desires and appetites are actually God-given for our survival’s sake. They are natural desires because they are a part of what makes us humans.

The problem is that everything good and holy can be corrupted by evil and can be used to tempt us. Something so natural and holy such as hunger can become a tool for us to sin. We can no longer count the number of murder, thievery, violence, dishonesty, corruption, drug trafficking, prostitution, and other social evils just because people want to feed themselves and their loved ones. Something so natural and beautiful such as sexual desire can become a tool for us to abuse ourselves and others. We also can no longer count the number of sexual harassments, rape, murder, violence, and other offenses just because people want to satisfy their desires for intimacy. Our natural human appetites are God-given. But once we satisfy these desires outside the parameters given to us by God, we sin. Jim Vander Spek once said, “Our desires are not the problem—it’s what we do with them.”

James illuminates our minds about the process of temptation arising from our own desires: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15, ESV). To be lured and to be enticed by desire can be best illustrated in fishing. I grew up beside a dam, so I had experienced fishing. There are different kinds of fish, and each fish requires a different fishing method. There are fish that will bite your bait only if the bait is moving; the fish will swim after the quickly moving bait. There are fish that can only be caught when the bait is not moving at all. These are the cautious fish. The role of the fisherman, with his pole, is to entice a fish by a hook with a lure. We think that fish are stupid for not seeing the trap we lay. But actually, our temptations are similar to theirs. The tempter appeals to our need and appetites. Once a fish is lured and takes the bite, the fish can only regret later for approaching a forbidden thing.

Jesus taught us to pray: “Lead us not into temptations” (Matt 6:13). Keep us away from things that appeal to our natural desires and needs. Margaret Thatcher once said, “There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.”

It is Needed!

In Jesus’ first temptation, we can also see that temptations do not only come in seemingly neutral and natural channels, but also actually through our most basic needs. The devil attacks our moments of need. Our basic needs can become avenues of temptations to rely on ourselves, to neglect or forget God’s laws, and violate other people. 

We can easily recognize temptations related to wants. We can easily discern that the desires to have a bigger television, a better cell phone, a larger car, or a more expensive watch are temptations. These temptations are easy to overcome, because we know deep in our hearts that they are just wants.

But what if the temptations are grounded in genuine human needs? We need to eat. We need to rest and relax. We need money. We need time. We need to save money. We need to sleep. We need to study. We need to pass our exams. We need to be with our family. We need to finish something at the office. We need to report on Sunday for work. We need employment to survive. We need to prioritize our family. We need to stay home. We need to take care of our sick family members. We need to give time to our visiting relatives and friends from abroad. These are all needs, and because they need to be done, the temptations related to them are much stronger and harder to overcome. We are even tempted based on the things that we deserve.

Conclusions

We cannot take temptations for granted. We can be so lax and not notice temptations because they appeal to seemingly neutral things in life, they are grounded in normal human appetites, and they are presented in relation to our genuine needs. We succumb to them until we are sensitized. This is like the story of a woman was bathing in the beach. She was enjoying the comfort of relaxing on an inflated cushion that kept her afloat. When she realized that she had been swept about a half mile out from the beach, she began to scream, but no one heard her. A coast guard craft found her five miles from the place where she first entered the water. She did not see her danger until she was beyond her own strength and ability.

Let us pray that we are sensitized by what is seemingly neutral, normal and needed and that we are still able to discern and overcome the temptations that come our way.

Lent: More to Life

Have you ever woken up one day, looked in the mirror, and ask yourself: “Is there more to life than just being ridiculously good-looking?” Or have you woken up and are already thinking about work at the office? Or have you woken up and are not excited about the routine you are about to face for the day? Have you ever asked yourself: “Is there more to life than this?”

We assume that this question is only asked by those whose lives are characterized by tad routine, or by an office worker who wakes up at 5AM and goes home at 10PM day in and day out, or by a construction worker who wakes up every day to accumulate bodily pain that was just relieved by sleep, or by a sidewalk vendor whose only hope to feed his family is for him to have blisters on the soles of his feet from walking, or by a mother who stares at the window of her shanty house waiting for the sun to set while her six children play in the dusty street, or by a young man whose disfigured physical appearance makes him unattractive to potential partners in life, or by the child on the street whose hunger he tries to forget by inhaling glue, or by a Christian reading the most boring blog ever.

We assume that these questions are asked only by those who are suffering, needy, seemingly hopeless, or are bored of their lives. But in reality, even the most successful people ask the same question and think about such things. King Solomon is the prime example:

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north;
round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing

(Ecclesiastes 1:1-8)

King Solomon felt a deep sense of emptiness amidst all the best possible things everybody dreams to enjoy. The whole book of Ecclesiastes portrays Solomon’s great dissatisfaction about himself and his achievements. He was a great builder (his house and the Temple), but he wrote that even work and toil are meaningless (Ecc 2:17-23). He was famous that even the queen of Sheba heard of his name (2 Chron 9:1), yet he says that fame is meaningless (Ecc 4:13-16). He was rich. The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon lots of gifts (2 Chron 9:10-11; his wealth is recorded in 2 Chronicle 9:13-28). But he said that riches are meaningless (Ecc 5:8-17). He was a learned man. When the Queen of Sheba visited her, there was no question that Solomon could not answer (2 Chron 8:2). Yet at the end he said that wisdom is meaningless (Ecc 1:12-18; but wisdom is greater than folly, Ecc 9:13-18). He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3). Yet he says that pleasures are meaningless (Ecc 2:1-11).

In all his accomplishments and the things he enjoyed, Solomon found time to complain. Solomon even espoused a dangerous fatalism: “Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return” (Ecc 3:19-20).

The irony of Solomon’s statements is this: it is as if he was asking the questions: Is there more to life than having fun all the time? Is there more to life than being successful? Is there more to life than being ridiculously good looking?

Solomon’s words portray that we can get tired of enjoying and doing even the good things we have. We can get tired of the things we work hard to attain. We can get tired of things that we think we will never get tired of. We can get tired of things that we thought could satisfy all our longings. We can get tired of things that we have prayed a long time for. We can get tired even of the good things that we have.

We can get tired of our car, our house, our money, our employment, our friends, food, of watching movies and TV series, etc. We can get tired even of the things that give us joy, contentment, self-fulfillment, and satisfaction. But the question is this: what if what makes us joyful, content, and satisfied is doing the Lord’s work? Is it possible to get tired of the joy of serving God?

I think Jesus felt the same moment of questioning. On the night before He was crucified, He cried out in deepest agony to the Father, asking if it was possible not to drink the cup of suffering and death (Matt 26:39, 42, 44). Jesus had been fully obedient to the Father’s will (John 15:10), serving God’s people in teaching, preaching, healing, exorcising, and helping people in every way He could. I am certain that it was His greatest joy to do all these things—all for the glory of the Father and for the sake of people. 

And yet, on the night before He would experience the ultimate fulfillment of His mission, He became weary of continuing to do the good and the righteous. It was as if He was asking: Is there more to life than death? Is there more to life than suffering? Is there more to life than doing the will of my Father? Is there more to life than just doing what is right? Is there more to life than always prioritizing others’ needs before mine?

We, too, can ask the same questions: Is there more to life than serving other people? Is there more to life than suffering for new strangers? Is there more to life than attending meetings several times during the week? Is there more to life than riding the bus for 45 minutes just to attend a one and half hour morning service? Is there more to life than doing the right things? Is there more to life than being dedicated to God and His work? Many Christians, if not most, have already asked these questions, even though they do not want to share it to others for fear of judgmental condemnation. The reality is that we can also be tempted to be discontent and to opt out even from godly things.

In a survey led by Dr. Richard J. Krejcir in 2005 and 2006, with 1050 pastors in the USA as respondents, the following data were found out:[1]

100% knew someone who left the ministry

90% said they are frequently fatigued and worn out on a weekly or daily basis

89% considered leaving the ministry at one time

57% would leave if they had a better place to go – including secular work

77% felt they did not have a good marriage

71% battle with depression beyond fatigue on a weekly or daily basis

I do not know every discouragement, discontentment, and challenge that song leaders face, or treasurers have, or other people have. However, I know many people who worked in the Lord’s vineyard for many years, and were known for their passion for God and His work, but are now struggling to even regularly attend Sunday services. The reality is that no one is impervious or invincible against burnout and forgetting our first love (Rev 2:3-4). 

Whether we admit it or not, we have been confronted by this self-induced question: Is there more to life than loving and serving God? Is there a better life if I stop going to church? Is there a better life if I do not faithfully give my tithes? Is there a better life if I stop sacrificing for the church and start thinking of my own self?

Committed Christians can get tired of the godly and good things they love doing. This is a scary reality. We can abandon even the things that give us great joy and delight. We can feel discontent even when we are serving in the work of the kingdom.

But when we are tempted to abandon what gives us joy today in exchange for what we think will give us greater joy someday—wealth, power, education, fame—let us remember that there was one man who said that all these things are meaningless. When we abandon the godly things that give us joy to pursue other things that will hopefully give us joy, we might end up losing joy completely and find disaster instead.

Paul’s advice to Timothy is important: “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked” (1 Tim 1:19).

Rhea F. Miller wrote a poem that is very dear to me. It is now one the most meaningful songs that Christians sing all around the world.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;

I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

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[1] http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36562

Lent: On Mortality

On Ash Wednesday, ashes are marked on foreheads in the sign of the cross. This practice is actually a symbolic reminder of our own mortality. It tells us in the most vivid way that from dust we came and to dust we shall return (Gen 3:19; Ecc 3:20). It is interesting that the whole celebration of Lent begins in this way. It reminds us that the path of Lent is the path of death. This is patterned after the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was aware that His entire life and ministry will ultimately lead to His death. He journeyed from Galilee to Jerusalem with the knowledge that when He arrives in Jerusalem, He would die at the hands of the religious leaders. He spoke about this quite openly to His disciples. This means that for us, participating in Lent means participating in Jesus’ journey towards death. It is our participation in His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.

Events in the world remind us of the reality of life and death: natural disasters and the deaths of family members and friends. Each of these instances reminds us that death is the ultimate destination of humanity. There are only two things that are inevitable in this world: change and death. These are also the two things that we have no complete control of. Our life on earth is also like the journey of Jesus from Bethlehem to Calvary. Whether we like it or not, we are going to climb our own Golgothas.

We rename death so that it does not sound so bad. We call the dead someone who is “at peace” or “at rest” or “one who goes to a better place.” We call death as “passing away.” We may even try to suppress the thought about death. We make ourselves busy so that we do not have to face the reality of death. The philosopher Martin Heidegger remarked that we busy ourselves in the crowd in the hope of forgetting our fears. Death is feared because it is irreversible: “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die” (2 Sam 14:14).

The immediacy, imminence, and reality of death is vividly narrated in Psalm 90:3-12, which was apparently written by Moses. So what was Moses’ credential to write about human death? Let us look back at biblical history. According to the Bible, there were 600,000 (excluding women and children) who left Egypt (Exo 12:37; Num 11:21). At Mount Sinai, when there was a census, the record was that there were 603,550 men over 20 years old present (Num 1:45-46). In the second census, when the Israelites were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho (Num 26:3), there were 601,730 males recorded (Num 26:51). [1]

600,000 men, excluding women and children	left Egypt	Exodus 12:37; Numbers 11:21
603,550 men over 20 years	Mt. Sinai	Numbers 1:45-46
601,730 males	Jordan River	Numbers 26:51

We may remember that many (if not all) of those who left Egypt were not able to enter the promised land. Yahweh proclaimed: “Not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Num 14:21-23). Also, we read in the Scriptures how God brought death to the Israelites in huge numbers while they were in the wilderness:

3000 killed by Levites	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:28
23,000 killed by God	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:35; 1 Cor 10:8
14,700 killed by God	Kadesh Barnea	Numbers 16:49
24,000 killed by God	At Shittim near Jordan	Numbers 25:9
many people killed by God	Zered river	Numbers 21:6

Moses saw and encountered death all throughout his life in the desert with the Israelites. He witnessed how people’s lives are so fragile. All throughout Psalm 90 we see Moses’ description of human mortality. Verses 3, 6, and 10 portray the shortness of human life. Verses 7-9 and 11 reveal Moses’ awareness of the wrath of God which He witnessed as the cause of the death of many Israelites.

You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

But after considering the life-span of humanity and the anger of God, Moses leaves us a verse with an important lesson: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12).

Teach Us to Number Our Days (90:12a)

We like measuring things. Laboratories are filled with instruments that measure things by milliliters and milligrams, but it is easy to neglect measuring our life span on earth. Thomas Chalmers once remarked, “Once in my unconverted days I forgot two things: the magnitude of eternity and the shortness of life. These are the great mathematical factors which I now see to be important.”

What does it mean to number our days? It is to recognize that life is short. The Bible has some more passages that highlight this: “we all shrivel up like a leaf” (Isa 64:6); “you have made my days a mere handbreadth” (Ps 39:5); and “you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

Life is short and time runs fast. We do not need rocket science and complicated calculations to notice that our days on earth are fleeting. Although we do not notice it, because we are busy living our lives, the people around us are changing. Our children are now attending schools, and what’s left of their childhood are only photographs. Children who we once knew are now in relationships, ready to get married. Some of them have become successful in their careers. Some of our grandparents, parents, relatives and friends have passed away. Time is fast. It runs its course without our permission and observation.

A Heart of Wisdom (90:12b)

Moses admonished that God would teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom. What wisdom is found in the awareness of our fleeting existence?

1. Teach us to number our days so that we do not offend God (90: 7-9, 11). Moses witnessed the hasty death of his fellow Israelites because they have disobeyed God. This is foolishness. It is not wise to spend our short days in blatant disobedience. Moses is saying that since our life on earth is short, we should spend it in pleasing God and obeying His commands. We cannot be arrogant before God, continuously incurring His wrath because of our grumblings, murmurings, and disobedience. Since we owe God every minute of our existence, we should spend it in worship.

2. Teach us to number our days so that we store treasures in heaven: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). People spend their days trying to gain more money. To use John Bunyan’s words, it is “raking a little bit of dust into a pile: a little bit of money, a little bit of property, and little bit of this and that.”

We are reminded of the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-20): “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” There are many who are fools, although they are not rich.  Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36).

3. Teach us to number our days so that we redeem the time. Paul admonishes us to “make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (Eph 5:16). William Whiting Borden, graduate of Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary, once said: “Each day consists of 24 golden hours; each hour consists of sixty diamond-studded minutes.”

Of course, in all these things, we must learn from the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that His days on earth were numbered. The distance from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem is a mere 123 kilometers. It will take about 2 hours to drive this distance. (The average speed a human walks is 3-5 kilometers per hour. Walking 3 kilometers per hour in 8 hours gives you 24 hours per day. This means that to walk from Galilee to Jerusalem should only take 5.125 days.) Jesus knew that His walk to Jerusalem, where He would die was a very short walk. It is true that it took Him three years to get to Jerusalem because of His teaching and healing ministries. But He was aware that every step He took was leading Him closer to Jerusalem.

Jesus knew that His days were numbered. So how did He use His remaining days on earth? He used each day seeking the lost, serving the needy, proclaiming the kingdom, healing the sick, fellowshipping with the outcasts, teaching the gospel, and forgiving sinners. Lent is a commemoration of the short life of Christ before His death. Like Christ, we are all in this journey. The question is: “How are we living our days on earth? Are we pursuing a life full of wisdom or foolishness? Are we using our days like Christ in obedience to the Father and in service to other people, or are we using them to gratify our self with pleasure and indulgence?

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[1] http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-population-of-jews-hebrews.htm

Lent: Nature of Temptations

Since Lent is patterned after the forty days of Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness immediately after His baptism, and since I already dealt with prayer and fasting, it is just appropriate that I also deal with the temptations of Jesus Christ that marked the culmination of His days in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11 records the temptation story:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In movies, the castles and hide-outs of villains are truly quite impressive: the White Witch’s Castle (The Chronicles of Narnia), Sauron’s tower at Mordor (Lord of the Rings), and El Macho’s Crib (Despicable Me 2). These citadels or strongholds are presented as huge, and often scary. Imagine these citadels and how frightening it is to invade them. Scary, right? When Matthew 4:1-11 narrates that Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted (4:1), it was actually saying that Jesus was led into the very domain of Satan in order to be tempted. In Jewish mentality, the wilderness (along with the sea) is the place of evil. This means that Jesus was led to be tempted precisely in Satan’s stronghold. Therefore, it was not as if Jesus was on the defensive side; rather, Jesus was actually in the wilderness to defeat Satan in his own turf.

So how did Satan try to defeat Jesus Christ in his own turf? What were Satan’s strategy? In this post, we are going to focus on the words of Satan. In particular, we will try to discern the presuppositions he had when he tempted Jesus.

If You are the Son of God… (4:3, 6)

When I was an elementary pupil, fights among children were almost a daily occurrence. Fights did not really erupt with violent punching and hitting. Rather they were usually characterized by a long standoff. The fighters would stand in their fighting stance, but they would not touch one another. In order for the fight to start properly, a ring leader was often necessary. The ring leader would say things like, “If you are really not scared, touch his ears,” or “If you are not scared, walk closer to him.” So the one challenged to do the touching, in order not to be called a coward, will touch the other child’s ears, and the violent hitting would officially begin.

I think the nature of the temptation of Satan to Jesus is similar to this. Satan was tempting Jesus to do something by saying “If you are the Son of God, you will do this.” The implication, of course, is that when Jesus does not do what Satan asks, Jesus’ identity will be called into question. Satan’s temptations are well-laid traps.

From Satan’s tactics, we can discern that temptations are specially tailored according to our own identities, personalities, and capabilities. Satan knew that Jesus is the Son of God, and he knew about Jesus’ capabilities. Although it is true that Satan tempted Jesus in consideration of Jesus’ weakness (hunger), the neglected other side of the coin is that Jesus was tempted in consideration of Jesus’ strength and capability. The temptation to turn bread into wine and to jump from above unharmed only works with Jesus because He is capable of doing them. An illuminating dialogue from the 2003 movie Luther was between Cardinal Cajetan and the young priest Aleander:

Cardinal Cajetan: “What is your desire in life, Aleander?”

Aleander: “To serve God with all my heart.”

Cardinal Cajetan: “Then it is through your desire that you will be tempted.”

The fact is that we are tempted not only in accordance with our weaknesses, but also in accordance with our strengths. What are we capable of? If we are rich, we face temptations related to our wealth. If we are good-looking, we face temptations related to our physical attributes. If we are politically and socially influential, we face temptations related to our influence. If we are leaders, we face temptations related to our responsibilities and privileges.

We face temptations grounded in who we are and what we have.

The temptation of Jesus reveals the fact that there are limitations related to our capabilities. There are things that we are able to do but should not do. Satan tempted Jesus to do what Jesus was capable of, but Jesus knew that if He does what Satan suggested, He would be abusing His own powers for His own self-interest. This is one of the crucial elements in the story. Doing something we are capable of doing is not inherently wrong. What is wrong is using our own influence, power, wealth, talents, gifts, etc. for our own self interests. Jesus can easily turn stone into bread in the wilderness like He turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12), but why did He do the latter and not the former? Because the former benefits Him only and the latter is for the sake of others. Why did He not violate the laws of nature (or gravity) in the wilderness when He can actually control waves, winds, and storms? It is because He did not want to abuse His own power if it is only for His own sake.

The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it: not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers. It was breached because some soldiers abused their power and capability.

If You Will Bow Down and Worship Me (4:9)

Jesus overcame the first two temptations, and so in the final temptation, Satan changed his tactic. If Satan failed to tempt Jesus by appealing to what Jesus is, in the last temptation Satan appealed to what Jesus is not yet enjoying: kingly reign.

Satan’s temptation is actually very tricky. When he said “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (4:9), he was actually saying “be my son, and I will give you all of these.” In Jewish culture, like ours today, children are heirs of everything their father owns. Bowing down to Satan is reminiscent of the bowing down of sons in order to receive the blessing of their father (eg., Jacob in Genesis 27:27-29).

So if the tactic to appeal to the identity and capability of Jesus did not work, Satan tried to tempt Jesus with what Jesus did not have yet. We can translate Satan’s words as “You are the Son of God, but here you are in the desert suffering. Is this really the life of a King? Why don’t you worship me and I will give you rulership right here and right now?” The third temptation, therefore, is a temptation based on who we are not yet, what we do not have yet, or what we are not yet enjoying. John Piper says that sin “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”

What is hidden in the temptation, however, is a necessary exchange. In order to gain something, you will have to give up something. A survey was conducted about what people are willing to do for $10,000,000? Here is the response of the respondents:[1]

Would abandon their entire family (25%)
Would abandon their church (25%)
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
Would give up their citizenship (16%)
Would leave their spouses (16%)
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
Would kill a stranger (7%)
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the desire to have what we do not have yet. It is alright to dream for a new car or a new house. It is alright to dream for promotion at work or to have higher socio-political status. The problem is when we are tempted to obtain or accomplish these godly dreams in the wrong way. Satan was tempting Jesus to be glorified now and in the wrong way. Jesus will be glorified by His Father in heaven anyway, but the road to such glory is not through Satan’s suggestion, but through humility and the cross. Paul wrote:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil 2:6-9).

Conclusions

One of the most important English words is “No.” We face temptations on a daily basis. But like Jesus, we can become victorious in the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom we are all baptized with (1 Cor 12:13). According to the writer of Hebrews, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb 4:15).

The temptations that Jesus faced are not so different from the temptations we face daily in our lives. On the one hand, we are tempted in accordance with our capabilities, who we are, and what we have. On the other hand, we are tempted in accordance with our limitations, weaknesses, and things that we do not have yet. But here is our comfort and assurance: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).

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[1] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/g/greed.htm