Luke 4:1-13

When I was in college I spent 2 summers on “Walkabout.” This event was required of anyone who served in Student Leadership or as a Resident Chaplain on campus. Walkabout was a sacred time in my college experience and it stretched me in ways I never thought imaginable. This adventure caused a few points of intimidation early on.

1. 10 days in the wilderness with no shower and 2 changes of clothing doesn’t sound like a fun time at first. I am a person who likes showers and before then had not gone more than a day without that personal comfort. I was nervous about the experience of an entire group of individuals being together with no shower- sharing tents, sharing meals and being in close proximity each day.

2. I’m not the most athletic individual- I never have been especially great at sports and I for sure had never been hiking and had barely been camping-maybe once with my Dad for a church Father’s Day event where dad’s and children would spend the night at a campground in tents. I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to pull my weight on the team. My wild imagination also put my mind into hyper drive thinking of all sorts of scenarios that could happen while on the trail:  What if I slipped and fell down the side of the mountain? What if I were bitten by a snake? What if I were mauled by a bear? All kinds of crazy thoughts crossed my mind and those were just a few. 

3. In addition to these previous concerns the one that is an extrovert’s worst nightmare is there would be 2 days of that trip spent completely alone, in silence, in the wilderness praying and fasting. The only time any contact would be made is for the team leader to come by and check briefly on you in case of emergency or if you had to go and refill water bottles. A whistle was given for each person to blow in case of a true emergency.

I trained for a few weeks before I went my first time- carrying around a “backpack”-walking a mile at a time with heavier items and breaking in my boots so I would be ready. It wasn’t much but it was a start. Both years I did this, I came to terms with no shower and lots of hiking and ended up faring well- it turns out when no one in the group showers- eventually the smell stops bothering people after about 3 days. And both times I had a great team so we were able to carry each other and encourage each other on as we hiked- so my lack of athleticism was more in my head than it was a real worry.

Yet the thing that was most challenging both times for me was the 48 hours in “Solo” with the emphasis on prayer and fasting. It’s one thing to be alone… but it’s a completely different aspect of being alone in the wilderness. There are no distractions, no comforts and there is literally nothing important to do other than to spend time in silence seeking and listening to God.

My first summer, I got the best spot for “Solo” as there was a natural shelter for me- literally a ledge of a rock I could fit under and it would shield me from the rain and the sun if it got too extreme. There was a stream nearby that flowed and the water was peaceful. During the day it was relaxing and during the night I felt safe because of that shelter. I felt God knew the exact space I needed and that it was a blessing- it was easy to quiet my mind and open my heart that first year.

My second summer I received just the opposite. There was no shelter and my attempt to build shelter with my poncho was unsuccessful. That year there was rain so I got soaked and it was cold for a majority of the time because I was also near the stream. The nights were restless- I stayed up marching by the water because I was freezing and I was too scared to sleep- bats were flying overhead and there were too many unfamiliar noises. During the day my only chance to warm up was to lay out on the rock near the stream and sun myself- but I couldn’t stay out too long or I’d get burned.

That second summer I felt what it was to be truly alone and I’ve never forgotten that sense of loneliness and longing for someone to be there with me in person.

My experience is nothing like Jesus’ experience. It’s probably as close as I’ll ever get when it comes to being in the Wilderness, yet Jesus had 38 days extra of praying and fasting and 30 days extra of being in the wilderness compared to my 10 and 2.

Looking back- I realize that Walkabout was supposed to be a time of emptying myself in order to take on a role of a student leader and was preparing me for the challenges that were to come in dealing with the various situations that were to come my way as a Resident Chaplain. To lead as a Resident Chaplain, I needed to be able to take criticism and handle rejection and to be able to do the unpopular things even when it was frustrating but it was the right thing to do.

Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness is a powerful passage that I have reflected upon often in my ministry. Just as Jesus was tested, I will face tests and trials often and learning from Jesus’ way of handling temptation will help me to be aware of when I’m thinking more of myself and less like Him.

Author, Henri Nouwen, wrote a book “In the Name of Jesus” and the temptations Jesus faced can be summed up in applicable language today:

The Temptation to be Relevant: “Jesus first temptation was to be relevant: to turn stones into bread. Oh, how I wished I could do that! Are we not called to do something that makes people realize that we do make a difference in their lives? Aren’t we called to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and alleviate the suffering of the poor? Jesus was faced with the same questions, but when he was asked to prove his power as the Son of God by the relevant behavior of turning stones into bread, he clung to his mission to proclaim the word and said, “Human beings live not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 

The Temptation to be Spectacular: “The second temptation to which Jesus was exposed was precisely the temptation to do something spectacular, something that could win him great applause. “Throw yourself from the parapet of the temple and let the angels catch you and carry you in their arms.” But Jesus refused to be a stunt man. He did not come to prove himself. He did not come to walk on hot coals, swallow fire, or put his hand in the lion’s mouth to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say. “Don’t put the Lord your God to the test,” he said.”

The Temptation to be Powerful: “You all know what the third temptation of Jesus was. It was the temptation of power. “I will give you all the kingdoms of this world in their splendor,” the demon said to Jesus. When I ask myself the main reason for so many people having left the Church during the past decades in France, Germany, Holland, and also in Canada and America, the word “power” easily comes to mind. One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that leaders constantly gave into the temptation to power—political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power—even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.”

Jesus’ awareness of the ways the enemy tempted also prompted Him not to respond using his own words and own methods but the very words of God the Father. The enemy eventually gave up and left Jesus alone. Unlike the experience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where the enemy twisted words and they succumbed to temptation to eat from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil- Jesus realized the power and truth in God’s words and the tactics of the enemy couldn’t stand against those words. Adam and Eve’s response to the enemy reflects the desire for relevance, spectacular actions and power which ultimately led to their undoing and sin coming into the world. Jesus’ response to the enemy was an act of allegiance to God the Father in realizing He was not greater than God and affirming His role faithfulness and obedience to coming to the earth to live among broken humanity and to eventually journey to the cross as a sacrifice that would conquer sin and death once and for all. There was redemption in Jesus not giving into the attacks the enemy kept presenting.

Knowing Jesus could resist also provides us hope and assurance that we can follow in Jesus’ footsteps when we are tempted with relevance, power and the spectacular- (or what seems to be spectacular) at the time. We are not immune to temptation just as Jesus was not immune yet we have a perfect example of what it means to respond with God’s Word.

Temptation is never fun and it is not easy. Jesus had to surrender to this time in the wilderness to strip away any of the desires of his humanity in order to prepare him for the challenges to come. Jesus would soon after be rejected in his hometown of Nazareth and rejection, even to the Son of God, could be a painful experience- and that was only the beginning of instances where Jesus would continually be asked to prove beyond what he was sent to do as he journeyed to the cross.

As a college student on Walkabout who initially struggled “Solo” on both trips and even as a Pastor today who acknowledges the desire to be liked, to be relevant, to do spectacular things and to be powerful- the wilderness is not a place to be afraid but a place to welcome the moments of quiet and clarity that come when there is nothing left to do but to seek and listen.

As the Lenten season approaches may we seek what it is we are to surrender.

Sources Cited:

Nouwen, Henri “Three Temptations of a Christian Leader” From: In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian leadership. Copyright 1989. All Rights Reserved. 

Three Temptations of a Christian Leader