Temptation

LENT FOR EVERYONE Saturday after Ash Wednesday– Pg. 7

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.
(James 1:2, the Message)

This seems right up there with the platitudes people spout when your shattered heart makes you grit your teeth. “God never gives us more than we can handle,” or “Everything will work out -Romans 8!” And then there is “What doesn’t kill us strengthens us” or worse still – “Call me ANY TIME, I’ll do anything to help,” from someone you know lets the phone go to message when they see your number.

There are so many lies we tell each other in desert times. We search for good words but they are scarce when another’s hope has faded, so we offer the best we can think of. Yet the cliches are no help. Job’s friends did just fine, sitting with him silently. Then they opened their mouths and added to his torture.

Yet there is a kernel of truth these bromides. Jesus’ desert temptation can help us find it under the heap of well-meaning, useless words. James knew this; “You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work, so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:3,4). He doesn’t diminish the difficulty but helps us see value in it.

N.T.Wright says testing is more than “pass/fail”; it can be a way of ensuring a car is safe, for instance. We test metal or a muscle with pressure because that stress produces strength. It can do the same for character. Even “fails” have value, showing us flaws that need our attention.

Satan tested Jesus with the very temptations that lure us. Wright advises, “Stand there beside Jesus as he faces those tests” (pg. 9) and, like Jesus, look to scripture for the words of truth so we can see the traps laid before us and avoid sin. Picturing Jesus with us is wise advice. As we stand in our desert, famished, seeing stones that resemble delicious pita bread, can we hear him say, “Oh, I know THIS one. I was hungry. It was so tempting to give in. Hold my hand. We will face this one together. I’ve been where you are, and I beat it then. Together, we’ll beat it now.”

#NTWright
#Lentforeveryone
#Temptation
#Morningmusingswithmarie

Wright says testing is more than “pass/fail”; it can be a way of ensuring a car is safe. We test metal or a muscle because pressure produces strength. It can do the same for character. Even “fails” have value, showing us flaws that need attention.
Jesus as he faces those tests” (pg. 9) and, like Jesus, look to scripture for the words of truth so we can see the traps laid before us and avoid sin. Picturing Jesus with us is wise advice. As we stand in our desert, famished, seeing stones that resemble delicious pita bread, can we hear him say, “Oh, I know THIS one. I was hungry. It was so tempting to give in. Hold my hand. We will face this one together. I’ve been where you are, and I beat it then. Together, we’ll beat it now.”
#NTWright
#Lentforeveryone