“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Cor 9:24-25)
A few days ago I was reading the familiar story in Luke 4 (1) about Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and as usual, I found the whole thing disturbing. Phrases like “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (2) and “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (3) jostled each other uneasily in my mind, seeming contradictory.
Why would God lead Jesus into the wilderness where temptation had snares waiting for him? Why lead his beloved Son into a siege situation? And why does it feel sometimes like he does that to us?
Although the Bible assures us that God doesn’t tempt anyone (4), he did deliberately put Jesus in harm’s way in the wilderness. Less than 3 years later Jesus would be led like a lamb to the slaughter. Were these “extra” trials in the meantime really necessary?
God thought so.
We don’t know–the Bible doesn’t tell us–all the temptations that assailed Jesus over his 40-day fast. It didn’t begin or end with the innocent sounding suggestion to satisfy his hunger by creating bread, something Jesus would later do on two separate occasions to feed thousands of other people. (5) In itself, the act of turning stones into bread wasn’t even a sin! But Jesus only did what he saw his Father doing. (6)
He had to be thin and extremely weak by the end of his fast, slow in body and mind. It was in this humbled state that he was then led by the devil up to a high place to be tempted with the offer of “all [earthly] authority and splendor”. The thought had to be as enticing in that moment as warm bread would be to his shrunken stomach.
Again, the Father specifically permitted this temptation. Again, Jesus resisted.
Finally (in Luke’s narrative) the devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Unaccountably, the Father allowed the devil to lead and direct Jesus in all these ways. And here’s where something important finally dawned on me.
Jesus, physically weak and wobbly, was standing high on the temple wall where a strong gust of wind could probably blow him off. His Father allowed the devil to put him in this dangerous position in his weakest state, not his strongest. He didn’t prepare Jesus for the onslaught of temptation by pampering him, getting him well-rested and nurtured, making him feel alert and ready. He did the exact opposite. He deconstructed all natural/earthly comforts and stays, leaving Jesus hanging out there in weakness.
Which was exactly what was needed. Like Paul, he could boast in his weakness because God’s power was perfected in his weakness. (7) And he was trained–exercised and strengthened–through this suffering to prepare him to endure the cross.
“Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:8-9)
If we misread the trials God permits to come into our lives and mistake them for punishment or rejection, we largely waste the value of the training. We are Olympians, building our spiritual “muscle memory” so we can respond naturally and gracefully in faith to whatever befalls us.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12).
© 2016 Deborah Morris
- Luke 4:1-14
- Matthew 6:13
- Isaiah 53:7
- James 1:13-14
- Matthew 16:8-10
- John 5:19-20
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
Eternity in My Heart 