When I was four and five, my family lived in Grand Rapids. The winters were pretty impressive with all the lake-effect snow, and one day, I remember going for a walk with my Dad in deep snow on a bright sunny day. I was dressed up in a snowsuit, the kind that made me look like a tiny, blue, sumo wrestler. Because the snow was so deep and I was so small, Dad went first, and then I followed in his footsteps. Or I tried to. His legs were so much longer, sometimes I had to hop a little to go from footprint to footprint. Once I fell, and the snow was too deep for me to get myself out. At first, I was worried, but then my dad laughed not too far away and came back. At first, I rolled back and forth on my tummy like a sumo wrestler trying to flip over, and snow went everywhere as I flailed around, and then my Dad was there, helping me up. My face was cold from the snow, but his eyes were kind and twinkled as if to say this was part of the great adventure. You know, following in someone’s footsteps can be tricky! The thing I’ve found over the years of trying to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, is that sometimes they are clear as day, like footprints on the snow or in soft sand. At other times, it seems that Jesus walks on hardened ground—I can see footsteps up to the edge—but then I’m not really sure. Fortunately, Jesus had times in His life, when he was tested, when He couldn’t see His heavenly Father’s footsteps clearly, and today’s passage is one of those times. How do we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, when we can’t see the path clearly? How do we walk steadily through the midst of temptation? With each temptation, Jesus shows us a truth to help us follow.
Temptation #1: I am filled by what I consume.On the face of it, we have sayings like, “You are what you eat.” We know that’s not literally true—if I eat enough brownies, I do not turn into a brownie—but have you ever wanted to eat, and you weren’t even hungry A certain amount of hunger is about our physical needs, but past that, it’s about our heart-hunger.? And consuming is about so much more than eating. How many of you have ever “binge-watched” TV-shows or movies? When you finish the series, are you satisfied? We consume and consume, but are not filled. Augustine said of God, “You made us for yourself and our hearts find no rest until they rest in Thee.”[1]Satan says to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Essentially, prove you are worthy by satisfying your hunger! Jesus responds, “One does not live by bread alone.” Jesus’ truth: What we consume does not fill us. Only God can truly satisfy.
Temptation #2: I am worth what I own.How many of you have watched TV this week? How many minutes of every hour you watch on TV do you think are ads? 15 minutes and 38 seconds, up from 14 minutes and 27 seconds in 2009. But have you ever wondered what they are aiming for? One of my good friends a few years ago was an award-winning car salesman for Chrysler. So I’ll ask you the question he asked me, “Why do you think the car companies advertise?” What do you think?
[Take responses from the congregation.]
“Actually,” he said, “they advertise because they want you to come in and test-drive the car. As soon as they get you into the car, driving it, you begin to imagine yourself in that car.” He added, “If I can get you in a car that matches how you want to see yourself in a car, I’ve made a sale.” But it’s not just about cars. We are encouraged to imagine ourselves in an ideal job, partner, home, stuff—and the image of ourselves with whatever that thing is, that’s what we want. Satan is trying to close that kind of deal with Jesus, trying to help Jesus see himself with all the glory and authority. Jesus says, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” Jesus’ truth: What we own and our image of who we are with it are not worthy of our worship. Only God is worthy, and God says, “You are my child, whom I love! With you I am well pleased!”
Temptation #3: I am made right by what others think.Henri Nouwen, one of the great Christian teachers and thinkers of the 20thcentury, wrote, “One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power—political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. The temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamation of the Gospel is the greatest of all. We keep hearing from others, as well as saying to ourselves, that having power—provided it is used in the service of God and your fellow human beings—is a good thing. With this rationalization, crusades took place; inquisitions were organized; [indigenous peoples] were enslaved; positions of great influence were desired; episcopal palaces, splendid cathedrals, and opulent seminaries were built; and much moral manipulation of conscience was engaged in. Every time we see a major crisis in the history of the Church…we always see that a major cause of rupture is the power exercised by those who claim to be followers of the poor and powerless Jesus. What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.”[2]When we choose power over love, we are, in effect, asking God to make the same choice—to choose power over love, trying to manipulate God into catching us to prove His love for us. Jesus said, “‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Jesus’ truth: I am made right by what God thinks of me, and God says, “You are my beloved child. With you, I am well pleased.”
All this Lent, many of us are going to try walking in Jesus’ footsteps. Sometimes the steps maybe clear, and sometimes difficult or awkward, especially at the beginning. At times, we may feel like Jesus is way bigger and better at this spiritual journey than we are—maybe we have to hop a little, stretch a little, to follow from footstep to footstep. If the steps are at times unclear, then, like Jesus, we have the chance to stay focused on what matters
· knowing what we consume does not fill us—only God can fill us
· knowing that we are worth more than what we own—only God’s love defines our worth
· knowing our power and competency are not what make us and the world right—only love, God’s love shown in grace.
Over the next few weeks, let us watch Jesus closely, see how Jesus was tempted, how Jesus treated people, how Jesus answered the deepest needs of people’s lives. As we are tempted, we don’t have just our strength, wisdom and love, we have Jesus’ too! We may come sailing through the temptations—no problem!—or we may fall over and flounder. With a laugh, Jesus will come bounding to us, to help us up and get back on track. In Hebrews, we learn that “Because Jesus himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Adam Hamilton, in The Way,writes, “Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness were meant to test his resolve, not with the aim of weakening him, but in order to strengthen him. When we fast and pray and stare down our own temptations, we find it does the same for us.”[3]So let us follow the footsteps of Jesus, to see how He won through His temptations, gave up power for love, and accepted a cross to win us a new way to love and live.
[1]Augustine, Confessions. First page.
[2]Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership(NY: Crossroad Publishing, 1994), pp. 58–59.
[3]Adam Hamilton, The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2016), p. 42.