Lent: Desires of the Eyes

This is the third sermon on the series of the temptations of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, interpreted in 1 John 2:16. In The Desires of the Flesh, it was highlighted that Satan’s temptations appeal to our natural human appetites and needs. In The Pride of Life, what was underscored was the fact that Satan’s temptations appeal to our human sense of dignity and honor. This post will deal with the third temptation, which in the words of 1 John 2:16, are temptations related to “the desires of the eyes.” In the wilderness narrative, the temptation was actually very simple: “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’” (Matt 4:8-9, ESV).

Three things can be said about the third temptation of Jesus.

First, it’s about Belongings

Owning property is not essentially bad. The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal” (Exo 20:15; Deut 5:19) was given precisely to protect private property. Even though “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Ps 24:1; 1 Cor 10:26), the Lord has given humanity dominion over creation as stewards (Gen 1:28). Hence, it is not wrong to own something. It is not wrong to own dresses, or homes, or food, or anything that sustains and promotes human life and well-being. Owning property is not wrong. It is our attitude about property that may be right or wrong.

It is important to have a proper view of ownership and property. We live in a world with a twisted mentality of ownership and a terrible concept of having. In fact, our view of having is so deranged that even interpersonal relationships are seen in terms of owning and having. It is quite appalling, but we unconsciously say things like: “I have a wife” or “I have children” or “I have friends” or “I had sex.” The language we use reflects a terrible mindset that we own even people. The language insinuates that people become our property and we can treat them as our possessions. It is alright to say that we have houses, land, money or cars, but when we use categories of having to speak about our interpersonal relations, something is terribly wrong.

Moreover, it is important to give material things their appropriate value. Satan’s temptation is very simple: the temptation to value earthly possessions more importantly than God’s divine purposes. Satan’s temptation was for Jesus to consider material things above everything else. Jesus Himself warned against this attitude: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). Jesus later on in His ministry again asked rhetorically: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matt 16:26; Mark 8:36). Satan’s temptation was for Jesus to exchange the eternal for the material.

There are stories in the Bible where people have failed because of how they valued material things. Saul disobeyed God and His purposes because he was blinded by the value of property: “Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have… But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction… (1 Sam 15:3, 9). Saul valued the wealth of the Amalekites and taught that he can justify himself keeping them if he offers some of these things to God. Saul’s sin cost him his throne. Then we have the story of Achan who was blinded by “the devoted things” from Jericho (Josh 7:1), which led to God’s anger and punishment: “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings” (Josh 7:11). Achan valued the beautiful and valuable devoted things of Jericho, which caused the death of his entire family. It was a poor bargain. He exchanged his family’s life over a few golden articles. We see these stories repeated in Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27), Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-11), the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), and the rich young man (Matt 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30). They all portray ungodly attitudes about possessions and material things.

The Bible admonishes us not to attach too much value in materials things. The command not to covet (Exo 20:17) is included in the Ten Commandments. To covet is to yearn to have something. We are commanded—not encouraged—to not covet. As long as we do not have a strong yearning for material possessions, even though we are tempted in relation to them all the time, we should be alright.

Secondly, it’s about Beauty

Satan’s temptation not only appealed to material possessions, but also to our human nature to appreciate and value beauty. Imagine if you were Jesus, who was shown “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” The temptation would have been very real and appealing. Whether we care to admit it or not, we like beauty. People do not desire ugly things. Those who study culinary arts do not only learn how to cook but also learn food presentation. Restaurants not only appeal to our sense of smell but also to our sense of sight. A beautifully presented food is more appetizing than a sloppily prepared plate.

God created us to appreciate and love beauty. It is a part of our DNA to prefer the beautiful over the ugly. In movies and other forms of entertainment, the beautiful is always related to the good and the ugly to the bad. Handsome and gentle-looking actors always get the protagonist roles and the vicious-looking actors always play the bad guys. There is something about beauty that appeals to us.

Beauty evokes a sense of admiration and excitement. Beauty has the power to create a desire in us, and because this is true, it is a powerful avenue of temptations. The world offers a lot of  “eye candies.” Visual adverts in television, billboards, newspapers, and websites all appeal to our love of beauty, even to the point that even television adverts use half-naked women to promote ice cream! Billboards advertising shirts, pants and all sorts of products are filled with beautiful men and women. It is ridiculous how a billboard about a shoe brand has two-thirds of it occupied by a half-dressed lady. Why do advert agencies do this? The answer is simple: they are appealing to our love of beauty.

Several Bible stories actually illustrate the power of beauty in temptations. Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was because she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes” (Gen 3:6). Similarly, Achan was tempted to take the devoted things of Jericho because of their beauty: “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar,… I coveted them and took them’” (Josh 7:20-21). Saul disobedience was because he was blinded by “the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good” (1 Sam 15:3, 9). David was led to adultery because when he saw that Bathsheeba bathing naked, he saw that “the woman was very beautiful” (2 Sam 11:2).

It is amazing how beautiful things can lead us to sin, and we can be so oblivious about it. Again, love of beauty is not wrong. We are created to admire beauty. What is wrong is making decisions in the light of what is appealing to our eyes. It is good to remember that “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). What is wrong is making decisions in accordance to beauty and aesthetics.  It is good to remember that “the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). What is wrong is love of beauty without love of righteousness, or love of beauty at the expense of righteousness.

Finally, it’s about Beholding

Satan’s temptation was grounded in a very simple showing: “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matt 4:8). The temptation was all a matter of showing on the part of the tempter and looking on the part of the tempted. This sounds so simple and ordinary that it absolutely insults the intelligence of the tempted. We can even think: “Who would fall for such a simplistic temptation?” The basic reality, however, is that temptations start off in seemingly ordinary ways: a married man who saw a beautiful young lady, a young man who saw a small picture on the side of the browser, a penniless woman who saw an expensive item in the store, and so on. It starts with just simple looking to elaborate sinning.

Of course looking is not sin in itself, but looking can become the starting point of sin. Going back to the Bible examples already cited here, the sins of the characters are related to their response when they looked and saw. Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was because she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes” (Gen 3:6). Achan was tempted because he “saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them” (Josh 7:20-21). David was led to adultery because when he saw Bathsheeba bathing naked, he saw that “the woman was very beautiful” (2 Sam 11:2). Lot’s greed was prompted by what he saw as the greener pasture: “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other” (Gen 13:10-11). The disobedience of Lot’s wife, which also led to her being turned into a statue of salt, was because of looking (Gen 19:26; cf 19:17).

The eye is an important human body part, but it is also a fertile ground for temptation and sinning. Jesus said that “the eye is the lamp of the body” (Matt 6:22). Whatever we see affects our soul or inmost being. What we see affects our emotions, like how watching movies make us happy or sad or scared, or looking at a beautiful woman and our sexual desires are aroused. Whatever we look at affect our decision-making. The things that we see affect our lives more than we realize. This is why Jesus taught, “if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell” (Mark 9:47). We cannot claim that we can look at things because they do not affect us anyway. The reality is that things that we see infect our minds and they stay there! It is very hard to forget something that we have already seen. This is why the Psalmist said, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” (Ps 101:3). As the song says, “Oh be careful little eyes what you see…” We also cannot claim that it is alright to keep looking as long as we keep a clean heart. This is like saying it is alright to possess a sex toy as long as we are not using it.

Conclusions

It is not wrong to have belongings. It is not wrong to appreciate beauty. It is not wrong to behold something. But these things can be used by Satan to tempt God’s people. Our eyes are God’s gifts. They are the instruments through which we see the abundant beauty in the world. But let us be reminded that our eyes can become Satan’s entry point in our lives. What we must do is imitate Job, who said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes” (Job 31:1). These are beautiful words containing a vow to the Lord to not profane his eyes by looking at ungodly things or stare at sights that lead to sin. Instead of looking at the things of the world, the writer of Hebrews offers an alternative: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12:1-2, NIV).

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.