February 26, 2023
Hope Lutheran Church
Rev. Mary Erickson
Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15-16
How Compassion Is Built
Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord.
This first Sunday in Lent always begins with the same story: Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Just as soon as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, he was led by the Holy Spirit to spend 40 days by himself in the wilderness. While there, he experienced a barrage of temptations. The tack of each trial touched on a different inner desire.
The devil was looking for Jesus’ fault lines. Where were Jesus’ points of vulnerability? Where could he crack into him, just like how water seeps into a crack in the sidewalk during a winter thaw and then cracks it apart during a deep freeze? How could this temptation get under Jesus’ skin and worm its way inside until his center was corrupted?
Jesus was standing on the verge of beginning his ministry. When this period of retreat in the wilderness had concluded, Jesus would launch his public ministry. What was that ministry going to look like? What was Jesus’ purpose, what was the thrust of his mission?
It was like the launching of a moon shot. Before the morning of liftoff, NASA spends months calculating the exact course. To be off by even a fraction of a degree would send the space capsule way off its target. If the devil could skew the trajectory of Jesus’ mission right now, at its beginning, the whole course could miss the mark.
The first temptation involved Jesus’ needs on a physical level. Jesus had fasted for 40 days. Now he was hungry. How easy it would be for Jesus to generate food!
And wouldn’t that be great! How wonderful and good it would be if Jesus could wipe out hunger! He would be lauded a hero, a Messiah. He could care for all of our physical needs: hunger, disease, poverty. He could wipe them out.
The temptation is RELEVANCY. Jesus could solve all the world’s problems. He could be the great provider.
And, in fact, Jesus’ ministry will include these things. He feeds the crowd of 5000 people when he multiplies the loaves and fishes. But when the crowds come looking for him the next day for more free food, Jesus has vamoosed. He’ll heal their sick. But when they want him to set up permanently in one place, Jesus insists it’s time to leave.
And aren’t we tempted by the same desire? We want to make a difference, to leave our mark. We want to possess important skills and be capable. We want to provide for our families so they enjoy every opportunity, the memorable vacations, the nice clothes. Being relevant and adept in the ways of the world is very alluring.
But Jesus doesn’t bite when the devil lures him to turn stones into bread. He’s not going to be Captain Relevant. He didn’t come to solve all the world’s problems.
The second temptation involves a spectacular event. Jesus could jump from a high precipice and land unscathed. Wow! Wouldn’t people be totally impressed? Such a show of superhuman ability and people would flock to him.
The temptation here is to be MAGNIFICENT. He could be that special person everyone wants to know, he could have celebrity. And to a certain degree, Jesus also engages in these things during his ministry. He calms a raging sea – WOW!!! “Who is this,” the disciples wonder, “Who can calm the wind and the sea?” And on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus glows with divine light. But then he tells his disciples to keep it under wraps. Don’t tell anybody.
And aren’t we tempted by being spectacular? How many of our actions are motivated by trying to be cool or popular? How many times are our words dictated by the desire to be seen as smart or hip and be lauded by others? If we make an honest examination of ourselves, we see that being popular and admired is a very strong motivator.
But Jesus says no. “No, this is not who I am or what I’m about,” he tells the devil. “I’m not going to perform circus tricks to impress people.”
The third temptation is all about POWER. The devil tempts Jesus with absolute dominion over the hearts and minds of people. Just think how he could eradicate all evil! Greed, animosity, discrimination, violence – all gone. In an instant, Jesus could align the wills of all people into perfect harmony with HIS will.
And aren’t we also drawn to power? Don’t we yearn for control? And how does that thirst for power sour every level of our human existence? From our most intimate relationships to the warring powers of one country over another?
But Jesus tells the devil to get lost. His ministry isn’t about power; it’s about humble service to others. And in the end, his mission will lead him to cede all power. He’ll allow himself to be handed over to the authorities and be nailed to a cross to die. Jesus will give up all control, all power. This is the target, the moon shot, of his mission, the cross. It’s the definition of absolute un-power.
Jesus begins his ministry with this detour into the wilderness. During that 40-day period, he’s tempted in every way that we are.
The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.”
It’s said that to understand a person, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. We need to see their situation from their point of view. We need to open ourselves to their challenges and limitations and worries.
And this is how compassion is born, when we identify with another person, when we put ourselves in their shoes.
This is exactly what Jesus did in his temptations. He identified with us. The writer of Hebrews hit the nail on the head. Our high priest is Jesus. He intercedes for us before the throne of God. And he has identified completely with our human situation. He has taken on our flesh; he has felt our pains and vulnerabilities; he understands our compulsions and temptations. As the current Jesus ad campaign puts it, “he gets us.”
This is the compassion borne within Jesus for us. His loving compassion led him into his servant’s pathway on our account. It was for us and for our sake that he set the trajectory of his ministry, one that would, in the end, lead him even to his cross. But it was through this great gift, in freely giving himself, that he would accomplish his core mission: to be our savior.
Our prayer of the day summarized our situation very adeptly. We prayed “keep us steadfast in your word, and when we fall…” It wasn’t IF we fall; we prayed WHEN we fall. We do stumble and fall. We do succumb to temptation. This is our situation: we are bound by the power of sin. We are a broken humanity. As the prayer stated, “the struggle between good and evil rages within and around us.”
But our fallen nature can also be the key to our compassion. The word compassion literally means “to hurt with.” As we ourselves are broken, we totally get the brokenness and suffering of others. Through our own suffering, we can grow in compassion when we see the struggles others experience.
The Christian author Henri Nouwen referred to Jesus as a wounded healer. It was through his suffering and death that he brought about our salvation. We too walk wounded. And in our own wounds and struggles, we can identify with the hurts and challenges others face. We act as wounded healers, we walk in Christ’s path of compassionate servanthood.
Jesus began his ministry with this 40-day wilderness journey. During that time, he underwent a barrage of trials. They worked to help hone and clarify what his mission was going to be. And the trials he experienced expanded his compassion for us. We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. In Jesus we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. So we can, therefore, approach his throne with boldness. He has grace to help in time of need.
