Luke 4:1-13; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; and Romans 10:8b-13
It’s the first Sunday of Lent. Jesus Christ prayed on a mountain and was tempted in the wilderness before his public ministry. And as we meditate on the various episodes and his ministry that will follow, we will meditate on his actions until Easter. We invited our neighbors over for Shrove Tuesday and shared a meal. We plan to hold the Imposition of Ashes ceremony today. Many Christians think of themselves as sinners before God and indebted to the gospel. At the same time, we confess that we are beneficiaries of Jesus Christ’s endless love and grace. At this point, it is meaningful that we invited the apartment residents across the street and shared time with them last Tuesday.
Inviting or reaching out to someone is not easy these days. I have to make time for it and share my gifts, including my talent and money. No matter how hard we try, results are not guaranteed. Therefore, spreading the gospel becomes increasingly tricky as society becomes more prosperous and advanced. But God has commanded us to do this mission. And this is what Jesus Christ himself showed. I am just grateful that our church is being used for this work. We can respond to requests from our neighbors. So I am happy and thankful for my ministry at Knox. I hope you all are twice or three times as happy as I am.
In Romans verse 10, Paul says: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Paul, who preached the gospel to Gentiles, emphasized faith repeatedly. He stressed the importance of faith wherever he went. He emphasized faith in God and Jesus as the Christ to members of the regions he visited. He sowed the seeds of the gospel in this way. It was a very long journey, and it is said that if they acknowledge and believe in Jesus as Lord, He will enrich them and provide salvation. This is a straightforward principle. However, there may be some people who have difficulty accepting this. Faith in God means accepting it with your heart and confessing it with your mouth. So you can experience the gifts and help of the Holy Spirit and gain confidence.
When we face a financial or emotional crisis, we remember those who help us. Some people value me enough to risk their lives for me. There is no need to show that much kindness to us, but that person always gives us more love than we deserve. I don’t have enough energy to raise two children. By the way, even though he has many children, he has no shortage of love to give them. Even if their children ask for many things, they do not show any displeasure. That’s why I love this person, but on the other hand, I always feel sorry. I live with the grace He gives me. His name is Jesus; sometimes, he is a good friend and a great gift. So I preach this person’s story every Sunday morning. During my preaching class, the professor said this. Many sermons today do not contain Jesus Christ. The point is that Christ-centered sermons have been lost in the flood of sermons. We all have Jesus together. We remember that love and carry it with us in our lives. Just as a mother spends 40 weeks embracing her child, we also want to spend the 40 days of Lent praying for someone in our lives with the love of Jesus. I want to remember them for that person’s salvation and provide good service for 40 weeks. In this way, we sow the seeds of the gospel and look forward to sharing the joy of salvation with Him, Jesus, and us at Christmas later this year.
Next, confession of faith is always accompanied by tests. Jesus goes into the desert full of the Holy Spirit. He remains there for 40 days. The wilderness and the number 40 are intentionally written, as Israel escaped from slavery in Egypt and entered the land of Judah after 40 years in the wilderness. There he was tempted by the devil. We can think about it. Do the devil or Satan have so much power that they can stand against the Son of God? However, knowing who led Jesus into the wilderness is essential before this question. The Holy Spirit led Jesus there. The point is that Satan was active amid God’s guidance and plan. Jesus was innocent and had divine power. That is why he was sent into the wilderness to experience the various temptations and tests humans experience. He was crucified as a representative of humankind. He paid the price for humanity’s sins. Because Jesus defeated Satan, anyone who believes in Jesus has now been given the ability to overcome Satan.
Looking at the temptation Jesus faced, we can see human weakness. In the wilderness, the difference in temperature between day and night is significant. He also fasts. It’s time to continue to feel physical difficulties. At that time, devil said to him. “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”(3) “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”(6,7) “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.”(9)
The first test tempts him to make bread from a single stone and eat it. Tests always start from something small like this. Before enlisting in the military, I worked part-time at a convenience store warehouse for about six months. At that time, there was an incident where the police caught five workers. When they were thirsty, they secretly drank beverages from the storehouse. This was the start. Next, they stole expensive cookies, and then they bribed a truck driver to steal a large quantity of alcohol and other items, and were caught. Like this, temptation starts small.
The second test is humans’ desire for authority and splendor. Recently, I had this thought while having a conversation with a doctor. It is about the extent of a person’s desire for advancement and achievement. There is a man. He has been fighting cancer for a long time. Now that he is terminally ill, he has little time left to live. By the way, he was appointed as the highest police officer in a country. What choice would you make at this time? The doctor told me that this was the time to let go of everything and take the time to heal fully. But the man put off treatment, got promoted, and faced a health crisis.
However, Jesus overcame all these temptations and tests. I cannot say that it is very easy to overcome many temptations if you believe. However, by relying on Psalm 14 today, I hope we can overcome when we are tested. ““Because you love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue you; I will protect you, for you acknowledge my name.” Amen.