As we come to the end of this calendar year, we have a tendency to look back as much as look forward. Many events of this past year have been grand, memorable, and blessed. There are also those moments and even days in the past year which remain a puzzle to us – what possible use were they? What value did those experiences have for us? The end of the year, then, becomes an amalgam of blessing and uncertainty at least. But, as God's children, we determine to grow through all of this, both good and ill, both clear and obscure.

         During this past semester at Trinity, I used the Lord's Prayer as a weekly focus for devotional time in class. Out of this experience came the prompting for this homily to you this morning. It was a sort of puzzlement about the meaning of a phrase at first which turned out to be one of the lessons I needed most to be confronted with. We had "walked through" the prayer in Matthew 6, taking one phrase per week, examining it in its context and seeking application to our lives. The phrase I struggled with most and which got the most student reaction was that part of Jesus' paradigmatic prayer which says, "Lead us not into temptation" – I think for the first time in my life I was struck with the incongruity of these words. Why pray that God would not lead us into temptation? Does God ever lead us into temptation? I was not so much stumped as disconcerted. What do I make of this seeming discrepancy? What do I tell the students, I thought as I prepared the devotional presentation? I was strongly tempted not to mention this "problem" at all. But, to me, that would have been dishonest. The investigation for a Biblical answer proved in the end to be most helpful and encouraging. And it is this which I would like for us to consider this morning. Yes, God does lead us into temptation – for our good, from His love, and for our growth.

         First off, a caveat: Doesn't the Bible tell us in James 1:13 that "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone"? This is pretty clear, it seems to me. God does not tempt us. But then, again, why pray, "Lead us not into temptation", if God never tempts us? Jesus is giving us an example of prayer in Matthew. The prayer is a model, highlighting those elements which Jesus feels to be most important for us to focus on when we pray. The phrase follows right after the phrases about forgiveness. Maybe that's where we are most likely to be tempted! I think of how to avenge myself or "get back at" the one who has insulted or injured me. The phrase also follows not distantly from the request to receive "daily bread", and we find ourselves grousing and kvetching about the bread, the manna He sends our way. I say, legitimately, "I didn't ask for this; this doesn't look like what I expected life to be for me as a Christian!" What a temptation! But I digress. Let's reflect on the phrase "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." The operant words here, it appears, are "by evil". God surely does not draw anyone into evil. That is unthinkable. It is the Enemy of our souls who lures us to do evil and to do wrong. But then, why do we pray and ask God "lead us not into temptation"?

         The best interpreter of Scripture is other Scripture and it would make sense that there is no better commentary or "gloss" on this part of the Lord's prayer than Jesus' experience in the wilderness in Matthew 4. That time of testing (and I chose the word "testing" deliberately) makes the prayer of leading into temptation not only more clear but even suggests a bit of "autobiography" from the life of Jesus. He had "been there"; He had experienced this leading into temptation clearly. So, I plan to spend the rest of our focus on these events of Matthew 4:1-11.

         First, consider the context of the wilderness experience: Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan. Jesus did not need to be baptized as a sign of repentance for sin and the need for salvation. That is why John baptized every one else. But not Jesus. He was holy; He was God. Rather, He did this to set an example. He wanted to show by example what followers of God must do, confess their great need of salvation, leave off living a sinful life, and open their hearts to God's coming Messiah. No sooner was Jesus baptized then a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son Whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased."

         Now follow me carefully for a few moments on this next idea: Jesus was fully God and fully Man. I can't understand that intellectually any more than theologians over the centuries have been able to understand it. But I am committed to its truth, nonetheless. And I think it is important to keep this truth in mind in many ways as we read the life of our Lord. Therefore, one must read the events in His life not as though Jesus were exclusively on Holy Auto-Pilot and never had any merely human concerns, or had to make plans and preparations and so on. Jesus was a man who undoubtedly thought through His life as a man. Anyway, according to the Scriptures as we have them, this heavenly voice is the first time Jesus had direct divine confirmation of what Joseph and Mary had told Him; it was the first time there was outside confirmation of what He knew to be innately true about Himself. "So it's true; I've known it all along but there is surely no doubt now" – He might have concluded. Besides this, He was facing a critical juncture in His life: He was about to enter into His teaching and healing ministry. What will be the best way to accomplish His purposes, the purposes His Father had given Him? And so, Jesus identified Himself with Man in baptism and, at the same time, heard identification of Himself with His heavenly Father. Quite a moment, I dare say! Indeed, what next? "How do I best go about this ministry?" may have been much on His mind.

         Of course, as God, He knew what would come next: Jerusalem, crucifixion, and the resurrection. But as we consider Jesus to be a true Man, is it unthinkable that He had to "map out his strategies", as it were? He is now to begin His mentoring, his discipling, His moving toward ultimate death and victory. How best to do that? So, the wilderness solitary assignment afforded Him such time to mull it over, to reflect not only on what He had just heard but what He will now do about it. This is not at all unlike Saul's conversion experience: in Galatians 1:17-18, Paul says that after his Damascus road encounter with Jesus, "I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia . . . then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem." Paul took the time to plan and strategize his next years. One would almost conclude from these two parallel life experiences that isolation and a wilderness fast is a good follow-up to any important spiritual revelation. But again, I digress.

         So, Jesus needs time to think. But there's more, and here is where our phrase from the Lord's prayer comes into play. Look again at Matthew 4:1 – "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit [the same Spirit who had just descended on Him as a dove] into the desert to be tempted by the devil." This is pretty strong phrasing – especially in view of James 1:13. Here, Jesus is being led by God to be tempted by the Devil! Now how do we reconcile this with James? Superficially, it is still not God who is tempting Jesus – it is the devil doing the tempting. But God is certainly putting His Son in the way of the temptation! God is placing His son in a place of testing, if not downright peril. Why and to what advantage?

         Now comes the next most important part to help us understand the phrase "Lead us not into temptation", especially when it appears God has done just that with His own Son. The Greek word for temptation is peirasmos and it has two distinct meanings: one is "to lure into evil" (which is the more commonly taken meaning); the other is to "put to a test". It doesn't take much reflection to see how close the two meanings are but, at the same time, how critically distinct the two definitions are. When we are lured (by our own lusts – see James 1:14-15) to do wrong, we are also facing a test. Will we give in or not? And when God allows us to be tested for Him to see how authentic our commitment (or perhaps better to allow us to see how committed we are to Him), we can sin by ignoring Him and thus fail the test. James 1, it seems clear, is dealing with the powerful pulls of sin in temptation, in the more common understanding of the word. But I believe that both here in Matthew 4 and in Matthew 6 (the Lord's prayer), the usage supports far more clearly "being put to the test", particularly in the prayer when the phrase is extended to include "but deliver us from evil." I paraphrase the prayer, then: "Lord, today when I face tests and temptations, don't let me fail you. Help me not to give over to the enemy of my soul." In other words, "God, when I'm tested and tempted, help me to remain who I really am – your child." God did not deliver His Son from Satan in the wilderness but He did send Him strengthening angels when His Son had passed the test (Matt.4:11).

         Moving into the main experience of Matthew 4:1-11, having seen that God has engineered all of this, let's look at what Jesus' experience was for Him and then, paradigmatically, what it is for us.

         As an aside, I mention a minor point, but one which has helped me as a rational believer over the years. If you don't agree with me here, just ignore me – what follows is not theologically vital. Was Satan physically present in the wilderness to tempt Jesus? Movies like "The Last Temptation of Christ," "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "The Gospel According to Matthew" all show a very real, very physical presence of evil. Fine. That may well have been, And if some day I'm told by my Lord Himself that Satan was indeed there, I will have no misgivings. But I consider my deserts, my temptations: I don't know that I have ever faced a physical Satan luring me to do wrong but I surely have, especially in exhaustion, depression, and despair "heard" the voice of the Evil One encouraging me that "it's ok, God won't really mind or God will never abandon you; you're His child" and I have felt very keenly his oppressive presence. Can't you just see Jesus fasting, focusing and facing the future to the point of thinking, "You know, all I'd have to do is say the Word and I could have a banquet. How wrong can that be?" That's how Satan gets me! End of aside – and forgive its length!

         As Jesus plots his next steps, He is tempted/tested to make bread. Satan says, "If you are the Son of GodÉ" That little word "if" (EAV in Greek) can mean both "if" and "since" – can you hear the sarcasm either way?: "IF you are, Since you are God's SonÉYou just heard those words from heaven , didn't you?" Now, surely, there was nothing wrong with Jesus wanting to eat. He'd been fasting for 40 days, something I find almost inconceivable! "I'm hungry," He thinks. No sin; no lure to do wrong. This is a test as much as it is a temptation. That is, God is having His Son face the test (think of Hebrews 4:15: "We have a high priest who has been tempted/tested in every way – just as we are, yet was without sin"): Will Jesus do it "the easy way", using His gifts selfishly, shallowly, superficially, even when there is a legitimate need – and what could be more legitimate than a desire to eat after a 40-day fast? This is, indeed, both a test and a temptation. But Jesus responds with (I paraphrase), "There are more important things than my hunger, hungry as I am. I don't think God would be honored by my using my gifts selfishly, even to slake my hunger."

         Then the enemy sneakily says (I paraphrase here): "You want people to listen to you and follow you and applaud you? You want to gather crowds and have the world at your feet? Then, make a spectacular entrance! Jump off the Temple roof. People will really be impressed and will love you and will follow you, especially when they see you survive the leap." Again, this is the "easy way". As Jesus faced the future of His ministry, there certainly could have been the temptation to avoid the frustrations of no response to His message and the tremendous amount of time spent with boorish and stubborn disciples and settle for easier methods. Satan even "legitimates" the choice with a bit of (incorrectly quoted) Scripture from Psalm 91:11-12 – "Your father has promised to protect you whatever you do, right?" (Look it up and see the misquotation).. Will Jesus do things to honor the Father or look for the quick, painless way to His goals? Any leader of men, corporate or national, must feel this pull.

         Finally, comes the biggest test of all: Satan says, "You needn't go through any of that suffering stuff at all. You're going to be sovereign of all, right? Well, just do it the secular way, the way everybody else who is successful does it, the way I do it. I'll help you; why, I'll even give that success to you." Once again, Jesus passes the test by acknowledging that these thoughts/temptations are unequivocally from the evil one ("Get away, Satan; I'm not going to listen to your blandishments any longer") and that God's way is the only way He will go. And Satan leaves Him – for a little while.

         Jesus faced the test, much of which was oh, so logical, and yet remained true to His mission and to His Father. Now, what was the point of it all? As fully God, Jesus testifies both to His Father – and to Himself that He is, indeed, the Son of God, just as He had been told. And as full Man, Jesus testifies to us to and to every Christian believer since that one can face the test, yes, even the temptations of the Evil One and remain true to his or her calling in Christ. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, then, to confirm in experience what Jesus both knew and had just heard. The test, difficult and draining as it was, was a helpful and healthful experience for our Savior, a test from which He proceeded with greater determination and purpose. The testing was purposeful, not punitive or tantalizing.

         But what does it say to me, to you? I can't make stones into bread, of any kind! I've never felt that temptation. But I often feel that I legitimately "need" something which I can get or have perhaps in a way which does not honor God. I just simply want something because I want it, even though the acquisition of it may hurt my ability to help someone else. This is a test! Is my life for me or for my Father? Secondly, being a Christian is not easy and I often wish God would make it easier for me by "bearing me up lest I dash my foot against a stone", delivering me from the drudgery and draining of ordinary every-day life - and so I take the easier way, the less obvious Christian way. That's a test! A very difficult one, indeed. Finally, the biggest temptation/test of all is to go the secular way, the politically correct, irreligious way. Why be offensive and speak out about Jesus? Why talk of my trust in God and run the risk of offending someone? After all, every other Christian I know is living like that! That is also a strong and ever-present test. May we, like Jesus, recall Scriptures to mind (assuming we even know those Scriptures enough to bring them to mind!), believe that God wants the best for us even when it's difficult, and that we will recognize evil and reject it as we see it. We cannot fight the evil one if we can't even recognize his strategies and techniques – but that's another sermon.

         When the testing in the wilderness was over, angels came and ministered to Jesus – another direct sign from the Father that Jesus was on the right track and a sure sign of His loving care for a worn-out, dehydrated, starving Son. God often reassures us after we've successfully "passed muster". Just as God would send a ministering angel to Jesus in Gethsemane (Luke 11:43 – "an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him"), so God reassures and comforts us when we face a test and pass it to His glory.

         Does God lead us into temptation? Yes, God will surely allow us, for our own reassurance and for his glory, to come to testings. He will not lure us to do wrong but will, in Paul's words, "not let you be tempted/tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (I Cor.10:13). Scripture, experience, God's Spirit – these are escapes for us to use when we are allowed to be put to the test. And how else do we grow as God's children, except by being tested?

         As a final illustration, think of the tests and temptations God brings to us or allows to come our way to be similar to the tests I give in my Art Appreciation class! At the end of each semester, the entire class visits the Art Institute of Chicago and each student must then write a pretty comprehensive report on what she or he saw. Not only do they discover what they know; they also discover how much they've grown in their recognition abilities and their understanding of many types and schools of art. The test is helpful to me, the teacher, of course. I am able to assess their mastery of the materials they've encountered throughout the semester. But I am always thrilled to get these reports and read of the joy they've felt when they could recognize a Kandinsky canvas from across the room, or have come to see the texture of a Pollock action painting. They have come to see their growth through this "test". The analogy breaks down, of course, in that God doesn't need to test us to learn for Himself what we know, or how we've fared in the past months. He already knows more fully than we where we stand in the course of life. On the other hand, the analogy is a fair, and perhaps even a strong one, when one reflects on God giving us a test so that we can rejoice in how we have come to recognize the Evil one "from across the room" or at last understood the texture of sin and how we must fight it. The test/temptation is far more for us than it is for the Teacher, here. And while there are occasional failures, there as many retakes as needed. God will continue to mentor us until we get it right, through His grace.

         And so, as we face the next year, we can be confident that God will let us see for ourselves how committed to Him we really are, and He will also be with us to confirm who we really are, by giving us a way of escape in testing and His comforting Spirit to encourage us as we commit our way to Him.

         And as we pray, at least once a week, let us think: "God, don't put us to the extreme test and leave us to the Evil One. Rather, as we are tested and tempted, give us your grace to stand firm and grow in and through the experience – even as your Son, our Christ did, to the glory of His heavenly Father." Amen! 

         Soli Deo Gloria.