TRUST GOD NOT TEST HIM
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Every year we begin the season of lent reflecting on the Temptation Story of Jesus। It has twofold purposes: To help us to realize the areas of human weaknesses and to provide us with tools to handle them.
According to the Gospels Jesus was tempted three times। These temptations represent three basic human drives. They are in the areas of passion, possession and position. We can however approach these temptations of Jesus from different angles.
The first temptation was to satisfy a physiological need with an unconventional and unnatural method। We do not make food from stones. The end does not justify the means. The nature of means is as important as the satisfaction of the desires. God has set an order in the universe. The creation was an act of replacing chaos with order. There is a Divine and natural law. Disruption of that law is against the will of God.
We all have different kinds of hungers! It can be in the psychological, physiological, sociological, or spiritual level। How do we satisfy them? Do we follow the law of God? Are we using the moral principles as guidelines in dealing with some of the controversial issues of our time like abortion, gay marriage and so forth?
The second temptation was to replace God with mammon। I remember watching a Television interview of Tiger Wood. He said something like this: ‘I thought money ruled the world. I worked hard and made money. Money however, ruined my life. I need to return to my religion and shape my life based on my religious principles’.
The third temptation was to use religion for personal advantage। Instead of trusting God and making a commitment, Jesus was tempted to test God to show his influence on Him. There are people who use religion for promoting their personal interest. One Lady told me that she encouraged her son to b e an altar server to improve his stage confidence.
It is vital to be aware that the devil is not tempting us any longer with conventional weapons and materials। The devil has upgraded and modernized his devices. The devil traps us today in a very sophisticated way.The devil’s temptation is something like this. He makes our life busy with too many attractive activities and programs. The devil presents these things as critically important and unavoidable. He convincingly presents religion as a private enterprise and make us believe that God and religion can wait. He drives God away from the center of our life and make it one among many. This attitude is called secularism. A person who is a slave of secularism is like a person who built his house on sand.
Temptations are real. There will be Temptations. Temptation has always a promise but at the heart of the promise is a deception. What are my temptations? What are the few things need my immediate attention? We cannot stop birds flying over our head, but we can prevent them from making nest on our head. How do we do that? Jesus is our model. Jesus defeated the tricks of Satan using the Word of God. Every time Jesus was tempted, he used the appropriate Word from the Scripture. We also have no way other than the path of Jesus to defeat the plan of the Tempter!
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A driver tucked a note under her windshield wiper and dashed off:"I've circled the block for 20 minutes. I'm late for an appointment, and if I don't park here I'll lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses. "Returning, she came back only to find a parking ticket and this note:"I've circled the block for 20 years, and if I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. . . Lead us not into temptation. "
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Every year we begin the season of lent reflecting on the Temptation Story of Jesus। It has twofold purposes: To help us to realize the areas of human weaknesses and to provide us with tools to handle them.
According to the Gospels Jesus was tempted three times। These temptations represent three basic human drives. They are in the areas of passion, possession and position. We can however approach these temptations of Jesus from different angles.
The first temptation was to satisfy a physiological need with an unconventional and unnatural method। We do not make food from stones. The end does not justify the means. The nature of means is as important as the satisfaction of the desires. God has set an order in the universe. The creation was an act of replacing chaos with order. There is a Divine and natural law. Disruption of that law is against the will of God.
We all have different kinds of hungers! It can be in the psychological, physiological, sociological, or spiritual level। How do we satisfy them? Do we follow the law of God? Are we using the moral principles as guidelines in dealing with some of the controversial issues of our time like abortion, gay marriage and so forth?
The second temptation was to replace God with mammon। I remember watching a Television interview of Tiger Wood. He said something like this: ‘I thought money ruled the world. I worked hard and made money. Money however, ruined my life. I need to return to my religion and shape my life based on my religious principles’.
The third temptation was to use religion for personal advantage। Instead of trusting God and making a commitment, Jesus was tempted to test God to show his influence on Him. There are people who use religion for promoting their personal interest. One Lady told me that she encouraged her son to b e an altar server to improve his stage confidence.
It is vital to be aware that the devil is not tempting us any longer with conventional weapons and materials। The devil has upgraded and modernized his devices. The devil traps us today in a very sophisticated way.The devil’s temptation is something like this. He makes our life busy with too many attractive activities and programs. The devil presents these things as critically important and unavoidable. He convincingly presents religion as a private enterprise and make us believe that God and religion can wait. He drives God away from the center of our life and make it one among many. This attitude is called secularism. A person who is a slave of secularism is like a person who built his house on sand.
Temptations are real. There will be Temptations. Temptation has always a promise but at the heart of the promise is a deception. What are my temptations? What are the few things need my immediate attention? We cannot stop birds flying over our head, but we can prevent them from making nest on our head. How do we do that? Jesus is our model. Jesus defeated the tricks of Satan using the Word of God. Every time Jesus was tempted, he used the appropriate Word from the Scripture. We also have no way other than the path of Jesus to defeat the plan of the Tempter!
===================================================
A driver tucked a note under her windshield wiper and dashed off:"I've circled the block for 20 minutes. I'm late for an appointment, and if I don't park here I'll lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses. "Returning, she came back only to find a parking ticket and this note:"I've circled the block for 20 years, and if I don't give you a ticket, I'll lose my job. . . Lead us not into temptation. "
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