Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

The Second Choice of Christ - February 28, 2007

The Second Choice of Christ

The Second Temptation

Luke 4

Second Wednesday in Lent

February 28, 2007

Rev. Dave R. Garwick

This afternoon a good friend of mine was recounting what happened last night for him.  He was called to the hospital where a cancer specialist was minutes away from telling his dad and the rest of them that there was now nothing more that could be done.  "But you know what was amazing?"  my friend said.  When I got there, here was the doctor sitting on my dad's bed with his hand on my dad's leg.  He didn't have to sit there - but he did!  He just took all the time in the world that we needed and just sat there right on dad's bed with him.  He didn't have to do that, but he did!"

THAT was what moved my friend as much as the bad news of the cancer itself - that the physician showed a compassion that "he did not have to".  That is the thing about what Jesus did that pulls at my heart too.  Jesus stooped down to comfort us when He did not have to.  Jesus did not give OF Himself - He literally GAVE Himself for our sake.  My friend was moved that a doctor gave of his time and kindness.  Jesus gave His very body and blood when He did not have to.

Tonight we continue with the second part of a seven week series called "Seven Choices of Christ."  These are seven times when Jesus sacrificed Himself on our account when He could have saved Himself.  Tonight is the second Wednesday of Lent, and so the second of Jesus' choices is the second of His temptations in the wilderness.  Well, at least according to the Gospel of Luke it was the second temptation.  Matthew puts it as the third temptation.  Whatever.

I'm referring to the temptation we just read about in the Scripture Lesson of the evening.  This is where, "The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to Him, "I will give You all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.  So if You worship me, it will all be Yours."

Jesus answered, "It is written:  'Worship the Lord you God and serve Him only.'"

It is interesting that Jesus did not answer Satan by calling him a liar, which Satan actually is.  Jesus did not respond by questioning Satan's ability to actually hand Him the world.  In fact, many times Jesus refers to him as "the prince of this world"  (John 12:31; 14:30, 16:11) and the apostle Paul calls him the 'god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  No, Jesus responded by saying, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"

These days most Christians take their positions on social issues according to what they think will work best, according to what they think is "realistic" - not in terms of what God has written in Holy Scripture.  Should you get an abortion?  Well, that depends on what the mother thinks will work best for her.  Should we go to war?  Well, that depends on what best serves our nation's self interest.  Should you get a divorce?  Well, that depends on what you think will make you the happiest.  Should you go to worship?  Well, that depends on what else you've got going on this weekend.  Should the church bless homosexual behavior?  Well, that depends on what seems most fair.  Should you forgive a person?  Well, that depends on whether you think they deserve to be forgiven, on whether you think that will work.  If anyone even dares ask what is written...well THAT of course is out of bounds since it is all a matter of interpretation.

Thank God that Jesus did not fall to that temptation.  On the face of it, by today's standards of being a "progressive" Christian, the case could be made that the devil made a pretty compelling offer to Jesus.  And quite frankly, I'm not entirely sure that Satan would not have followed through on his end of the bargain.  I don't think Satan gives a rip about this world or anyone or anything in it.  What he DOES crave is to take the place of God.  I would not be at all surprised if Satan WERE willing to trade this little blue marble in outer space in order to get the Son of God Himself to worship him even for a split second.  Jesus did not question Satan's ability to do this.

Think of it.  Jesus came to save the world.  At this point in the story, He's got three years to pull it off and the clock is ticking.  And these next three years are going to be hell on earth for Him, especially the last week of it all.  Here Satan is offering one sweet deal:  Jesus can avoid all the miles of walking, all the hours of sparring with opponents, all the betrayals of His closest people, all the humiliation, all the pain, all the suffering, all the agony, all the death - and He can still win the whole game right here, right now.

Only one thing stands in the way:  "It is written:  'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"  That is all that mattered in the face of every other do-called good reason to take the easy way out.  If the Great Deceiver were forced to hold to his end of the bargain, Jesus would have gained all the authority and splendor of all the kingdoms of the world - whatever THAT meant.  But death would not have been overcome and sin which caused His death would not have been overcome because Jesus would never have been nailed to a cross and He never then would have been raised from the dead.  He might have saved Himself but He never would have saved us.

If Jesus had copped out like that, imagine what it would mean today for us to love one another as Jesus loved us.  It would mean that the best we could hope for would be to love each other in order to get what we want for ourselves and then ditch one another when it suits us.  Sounds like too many relationships these days which wind up in abuse and divorce.

The Good News is that Jesus loved us to the point of even sacrificing Himself for our good...by His own free will...when He did not have to.  That is why CHRISTIAN love is loving the way Jesus first loved us, sacrificing ourselves for the welfare of one another.

This, then, was the second choice of Christ, where He sacrificed Himself on our account when He had the choice to do otherwise.  He knew what He was doing, He knew where it was taking Him, and He did it because of where it would take us...for eternity.

Amen.  May it be so.