Jesus has gone off into the wilderness, and fasted for 40 days and nights. At the end of his fast, the devil comes and tempts him. Turn these stones into bread. No – man does not live on bread alone. Jump down from this high spot, because angels will save you. No – I won’t put God to the test. I’ll give you all you can see if you just bow down to me. No – Worship the Lord only. After this, the devil left Jesus.
There are parts of this story I’ve always struggled with, starting with the 40 days. Haven’t we been taught that you can’t live without food for far fewer days than this? I know that sounds petty, and he is God-incarnate after all.
If this section is spotlighting Jesus’ fully human nature, is this 40 days an exaggeration? Or maybe it was a fast from only some kinds of food – meat, solid food? I know this sounds petty, but if it’s a full-on fast from all food, humans can’t live for 40 days.
Or maybe this section is spotlighting his fully human and fully divine nature. Maybe he was fasting from all food, but God interceded and provided some interim sustenance.
Or maybe they didn’t count days the same way we do. I spent some time in Burma, where a week was as long as our week, but it contained 8 days, with six days that looked just like our calendar, but one day was split in two at noon.
Moving past the 40 day dilemma, this story tells us something about temptation and resistance. All of the things that the evil one tempted Jesus with were things he could do, things he had done. Made food. Physically moved his body in ways mortals couldn’t. The devil was tempting him to show off his God-given skills, but to do so for show. Jesus the man could do all of that. Jesus the man might have been tempted to prove he could. I have been goaded into performing, when my capacities are challenged. But Jesus didn’t. He didn’t succumb to petty performing.
And the first challenge the devil offered up was for food. A famished Jesus could have turned stones in to bread, and if ever there was a time, wouldn’t that have been it? But the tempted Jesus did not. I’m reminded of a sermon I heard where it was suggested that this devil that comes up to Jesus might not have looked like the red, horned caricature. Maybe it wasn’t an external character at all. Maybe it was a voice in his head. Psst. You know you could turn those stones into bread. You know how to do this. You’re hungry. To me, that’s a more frightening and insidious devil anyway.
But Jesus resisted. He had his plan to fast, and worship God. And so eventually, the devil departed.
Even though there are some wonderful pithy lessons in this story about temptation, who we worship, and easily we’re goaded into performing for the wrong purpose, I’m stuck. I’m stuck on the 40 day fast, trying to understand if it’s a literal fast from everything, a partial fast, a God-supported-and-not-really-a-40-day-fast, or what. Each possibility has different implications to how I’d read and understand the story.
This morning I’m thinking about the little details about Scripture, and how it’s easy to gloss over the bits I don’t understand. I may never know what a 40 day fast meant to the writer. But I can refrain from speed-reading over the confusing bits, I can wrestle with how I understand it. I find when I do that, when I really think about what the throw-away lines or unknown places mean to the story, they take on a greater depth. If nothing else, I’ve spent more time thinking about these ancient stories, and what they might be telling me, in such a different place and time.
No comments:
Post a Comment