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.

Peace on Earth

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-14

Any enactment of the Christmas story would be incomplete without the angels. In fact, the angels are everywhere. Whichever scene it is, they are right there. They are there at the announcements of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-20) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-38); they communicated to shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and to the magi (Matt 2:12). They appeared to Zechariah to bring a good news (that Elizabeth is going to have a baby) and a bad news (he would not be able to speak until John is born; 1:20). They appeared to Mary as with a shocking and disturbing news that she is pregnant (Matt 1:26-38). They appeared to Joseph to persuade him to take a pregnant woman as his wife (Matt 1:20-25). They appeared to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and to the magi (Matt 2:12). Later on they appeared again to Joseph to tell him to carry his new-born child to Egypt (Matt 2:13); and when they were in Egypt for a while, they told Joseph again to return to Israel (Matt 2:19). The angels are everywhere!

The angels also proclaimed many things. A study of the angelic testimonies actually reveal a very rich Christology.  In the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke alone, Jesus is referred to as (1) conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20); (2) Jesus or Joshua, which means “the Lord saves” (Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31); (3) the saviour of people from  their sins (Matt 1:21); (4) Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matt 1:22); (5) “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32); (6) inheritor of the throne of David (Luke 1:32); (7) “the holy one” (Luke 1:35); (8) “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35); and (9) “Christ, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

The testimonies of the angels about Jesus Christ are very important. Considering that to be an angelos is to be God’s messenger means that the message of the angels are the message of God himself. Their testimonies are the very words of God, uttered through the lips of his servants. And so when they said that Jesus is “Christ, the Lord,” Jesus is indeed the Lord; when they said that Jesus is the saviour of people from their sins, he is indeed the saviour.

Our primary interest, however, does not lie in these Christological affirmations. Our reflections will revolve around the proclamation of the angels to the shepherds in Luke 2:14.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Let us pray: Father, speak to us the good news you proclaimed through the angels 2000 years ago about your Son Jesus Christ, born to be with us and for us. Breathe on us your Holy Spirit and give us peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE PROCLAMATION OF PEACE

The angels announced that the coming of Jesus is the coming of peace. In a sense, this is a fulfilment of Isaiah 9:6-7, where Isaiah prophesied that the child to be born to the world shall be called “Prince of Peace.” God himself, in Christ, the Creator of the universe and the One who has brought everything into order, has come to vanquish the opposing chaotic forces. Peace has now come “to those on whom God’s favour rests” (Luke 2:14), and as Paul later on would affirm, “now is the time of God’s favour” (2 Cor 6:2; quoting Isa 49:8). But what happens in the time of God’s favour? Isaiah writes:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
⁹ to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ (Isa 49:8-9)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angels proclaimed that the fulfilment of all these has come. This is why Jesus himself, at the beginning of his public ministry, proclaimed that his mission was

… to proclaim good news to the poor
… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and [to give] recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19; quoting Isa 61:1-2)

But let us ask ourselves: why is peace so important that it is one of the many things that God himself in Christ has come to give us? Even the mission he gave his disciples included the giving of peace: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house’” (Luke 10:5). When Jesus was born, the Romans were the rulers of Palestine, and the Roman Empire was enjoying the well-known Pax Romana. There was relative peace. There was prosperity throughout the empire. Wrong-doers were justly punished. There was economic security. There were excellent transportation modes. The Jews were free to worship Yahweh. If peace refers to (1) a state of harmony; (2) the lack of violent conflict; (3) the absence of hostility; (4) economic prosperity; (5) the establishment of equality; (6) the absence of war; and (7) the presence of positive and respectful cultural and economic relationship, then we can say that there was peace when Christ was born. So what was missing in the peace that the people of the first century experienced?

The peace that Jesus Christ offers us is a peace that this world cannot offer. The peace that God wants us to have is not attainable through economic security, socio-political status, ecclesiastical position, or whatever. It is shalom, the wholeness of being. We all have heard of the saying, “we have a God-sized hole in our hearts that only God can fill.” And yes, only when God comes to us in Christ and dwells among us and with us that we can find wholeness and fullness. Even if, like the people during the birth of Christ, they thought that they had peace, true peace is only attainable in the Immanuel, when God is with us. It is only when God is in our midst, when God is truly with us, that we find peace.

Let us face it: the proclamation of peace is always timely and relevant. For instance, it is interesting to compare the experience of the shepherds in Luke 2 and the experience of the disciples in John 20.

	LUKE 2:8-14	JOHN 20:19-21
location	dark fields (2:8)	shut doors (20:19)
setting	shepherds tired and wanting rest (2:8)	disciples afraid and needing peace (20:19)
appearance	angels appeared out of nowhere (2:9)	Jesus appearing out of nowhere (2:19)
response	“terrified” (2:9)	shocked, but soon overjoyed (20:20)
the words	“on earth peace” (2:14)	“Peace be with you” (20:19, 21)

Like the shepherds and the disciples, right when we are down, exhausted, and afraid; right when we are in the darkest valleys of life tending to our own sheep, or family, or ministry, or our responsibilities; right when we have shut the doors and have isolated ourselves because of exhaustion, fear, and even resignation; right there God in Christ comes and gives us peace. Praise be to God! 

ATTAINING PEACE

Reading Luke’s Gospel further, it would appear that the people during Jesus’ time understood that the coming of Jesus is the coming of the King to both give peace and bring glory to God in the highest. This is why when Jesus was entering Jerusalem riding a donkey, people shouted and exclaimed:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

What is fascinating is that this verse resonates very well with Luke 2:14. First, both mention the glory of God in the highest. Secondly, both mention peace, but in Luke 19:38, such peace is found in heaven, not on earth. But instead of treating the peace in heaven and peace on earth as two different and unrelated peace, we should look at these two with reference to the prayer of Jesus in Matthew 6:10: “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This means that we can pray, “your peace come, on earth as it is in heaven.”

But did the Jews really know that it was Jesus himself who is the giver of peace? If we read the story of the triumphal entry further, Luke records what happened next.

“As he [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (Luke 19:41-42).

The truth, therefore, is that the people during Jesus’ time did not recognize Jesus as the true giver of peace. They did not know how to attain peace, even though Jesus was right there in their midst. It is such a shame and a terrible waste that God has come to offer peace, but the people to whom such peace is offered to, did not know how to receive it. And this is my fear today: that we who are recipients of God’s gift of peace are not really availing of the gift which is for us; that even though we are celebrating the coming of the Prince of Peace, we are not really at peace; that even though God is drawing himself near to us, we are too blind to see Him; that even though he offers us peace, we are too proud to acknowledge our need of Him; that even though he is right here with us, here at church, that we are oblivious to his touch and voice.

My friends, he has already come to give us peace, now it is time to come to him.

He comes all of us. We are the people to whom God’s favour rests. He challenges us to be filled. He calls us to himself and offers us peace and rest. He said

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:28-29)