Temptation
This last week in my hermeneutics class we studied the passage in Luke where Jesus is tempted by the devil at the outset of his ministry. That passage is rich with insights and truth but one thing stood out to me more than anything else.
Twice in Hebrews (2:18 and 4:15) it says that Jesus was tempted as we are, therefore he can aid us because he understands the temptation. I sometimes wonder how this can be. Did Jesus ever really undergo all the temptations that we do? But he did. Perhaps not in every specific situation (was he ever tempted to clock in early at work?) but I think what the temptation appeals to is what he understands--pride, desire, self-preservation, greed, and so on.
I understand that principle but I tend to struggle with finding it in the Bible. I am one of those who, sadly, all too often forgets that Jesus lived beyond what we see in the Bible. Not all of his life is recorded in our four gospels. There was so much more to his life we know absolutely nothing about (John 21:25). Which leads me to Luke 4.
So it says that Jesus was led into the desert and tempted for 40 days. At the end of which he was tempted three more times. My question is what happened in those 40 days? Luke says he was tempted for 40 days. That is not an empty phrase. It got me thinking that maybe, just maybe it was in those days that the Lord was tempted in all the ways we are. We have no clue what happened between Jesus and the Devil in those days but just think, what if in that time he was tempted to give into his greed? If he was tempted by desire? Just because its not in ink doesn't mean nothing happened. And even if in those 40 days he wasn't tempted in all the ways we are, this insight (?) got me thinking. Who's to say he wasn't tempted elsewhere as we were. So much of his life is a mystery to us.
I guess its not too much of a life altering thought but it just reminded me to think of Jesus beyond the pages of our Bible, he was a man who lived and laughed and cried and was tempted. He really was like us, just a little more complex and completely perfect :)
Twice in Hebrews (2:18 and 4:15) it says that Jesus was tempted as we are, therefore he can aid us because he understands the temptation. I sometimes wonder how this can be. Did Jesus ever really undergo all the temptations that we do? But he did. Perhaps not in every specific situation (was he ever tempted to clock in early at work?) but I think what the temptation appeals to is what he understands--pride, desire, self-preservation, greed, and so on.
I understand that principle but I tend to struggle with finding it in the Bible. I am one of those who, sadly, all too often forgets that Jesus lived beyond what we see in the Bible. Not all of his life is recorded in our four gospels. There was so much more to his life we know absolutely nothing about (John 21:25). Which leads me to Luke 4.
So it says that Jesus was led into the desert and tempted for 40 days. At the end of which he was tempted three more times. My question is what happened in those 40 days? Luke says he was tempted for 40 days. That is not an empty phrase. It got me thinking that maybe, just maybe it was in those days that the Lord was tempted in all the ways we are. We have no clue what happened between Jesus and the Devil in those days but just think, what if in that time he was tempted to give into his greed? If he was tempted by desire? Just because its not in ink doesn't mean nothing happened. And even if in those 40 days he wasn't tempted in all the ways we are, this insight (?) got me thinking. Who's to say he wasn't tempted elsewhere as we were. So much of his life is a mystery to us.
I guess its not too much of a life altering thought but it just reminded me to think of Jesus beyond the pages of our Bible, he was a man who lived and laughed and cried and was tempted. He really was like us, just a little more complex and completely perfect :)
posted by KJ at
9:17 AM
1 Comments:
Kristin,
I am tempted to comment. And I am giving in...
It's odd that just before I read this post of yours, I posted a blog about my own temptation today! It's comforting to know that were He living in the flesh among us today, he might want the Paper Denim and the MacBook, as well!
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