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.

---

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

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).

---

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