|
|
Settling the Issue in
Advance |
|
|
Summary
Settling the Issue in Advance John Wooden is the legendary UCLA basketball coach who led his teams to be a dominant force in NCAA basketball for several decades. His name is associated with success including coaching his teams to 10 Division I-A National Championships. It may be surprising to learn, however, that he did not teach explicitly about winning and losing. Instead, Wooden focused on preparing himself and his players to be the sort of people who could make maximum impact not merely in basketball, but also in life. One of his best known sayings was “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” For Wooden, achieving success on the court was rooted in preparation; winning was simply a byproduct. This is also true with respect to the life God invites us to live. The great narrative that God continues to write envisions an unbelievable future for God’s people. The scriptures tell the story of God’s mission to bring healing, hope and wholeness to all creation. From the moment that humanity turned away from the life that God had created for them and instead chose to go their own way, God relentlessly pursued his most prized creation. God’s mission culminated in sending Jesus as the agent through whom God’s salvation would reach its climax. But before Jesus emerged as a public figure in Israel, God led him into the wilderness to undergo a period of testing. Our scripture lesson records this essential episode. It occurs immediately prior to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to all Israel, and it is the high point of his time of preparation. In his confrontation with the devil, Jesus settles the issue of what sort of impact he would make with his life. Jesus was born as the Christ — God’s long-awaited Savior who would usher in God’s age of salvation, and this time of testing resolves how Jesus will live in light of his identity as Messiah and Son of God. Preparation All of this has an application for us who follow Jesus today, for, in fact, God has a lot more invested in us than we do ourselves. And he wants to shape us into more profound and godly people and prepare us spiritually for the work that he has called us to do. Our text tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness specifically for testing. How does Jesus respond to this challenge? Jesus practices the spiritual discipline of fasting. In anticipation of a test, Jesus returns to tried and true methods of preparation. He fasts for 40 days and nights. Jesus completes his fast. He is physically hungry, but focused and ready for the tests that await him. John Wooden prepared his players in a similar fashion. He always started with the basics. No detail was too small or insignificant. In fact, each practice season began with Wooden showing his players (all of whom had already enjoyed stellar basketball careers in high school) how to properly wear their socks and tie their shoes; Wooden wanted to prevent the most common basketball injury, blisters on the feet. He prepared his players for victory by covering all the bases. Throughout his time of ministry on earth, Jesus repeatedly withdrew from the crowds for periods of prayer. As we seek to become persons whom God can use to change the world, we need to make sure that we are prepared to participate fully in the life of God’s dreams. Are we ready? What practices do we need to put in place to maximize the impact that we will be able to achieve for God? The first test Satan comes with a straightforward test of Jesus. Knowing of Jesus’ physical hunger, the tempter suggests that Jesus use his power as Son of God to create a meal of bread for himself out of the stones lying on the ground around him. Jesus responds by quoting scripture from the book of Deuteronomy. In fact, Jesus uses scripture from Deuteronomy in response to all three tests he will face. The reason for this is that Deuteronomy was proclaimed by Moses to Israel while Israel itself was still in the wilderness. Deuteronomy was Moses’ final instruction to Israel before his passing and Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land. In other words, Moses’ words in Deuteronomy represented Israel’s final preparation for the future that God had prepared for it. Jesus’ response is classic: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In other words, Jesus refuses to act on self-interest because he has settled upfront the issue of trusting God with his life. Jesus’ unique abilities were not for his own self-preservation but for completing the mission that he was sent to accomplish. The lesson for us is simple: Use our God-given gifts for something greater than our own needs. Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus will offer these words: “… the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” How are we tempted to use our gifts, talents and passions in ways that serve our own needs rather than touching the lives of those whom God places in our paths? The second test Jesus is then transported to Jerusalem. From atop the highest section of the temple, Satan urges Jesus to throw himself off so that God can deliver him. Satan adds to the intrigue by quoting from Psalm 91 in which there is a promise of God’s protection. Jesus answers with another text from Deuteronomy: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus uses scripture again to move the focus off of himself and onto God. God does not have anything to prove. The principle here is this: Live confidently that God has your best interests at heart. If we are to become the sort of person whom God can use to advance his work in the world, we have to settle the issue of trust upfront. We do not have to be frozen in a world of doubt about God’s intentions. We do not have to come up with elaborate schemes to verify God’s commitment to us. We trust in the relationship that we have with God through Jesus Christ. We then act faithfully in light of God’s love for us through Jesus. Are we confident of God’s love for us? Are we able to act decisively and live boldly for God, or do we have lingering doubts about God’s trustworthiness? The final test Undaunted by failure, the devil makes a final attempt. He takes Jesus to a high mountain and proceeds to show Jesus the world. He then offers Jesus a deal. Jesus can be ruler of the whole world if he will simply bow down and worship him. Jesus responds swiftly and decisively. He orders Satan to depart with a final reminder from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” There will be no compromise. Jesus, the Son of God, came to complete a mission. It was a mission hatched out of the very heart of God. It involved authority over the nations, but this authority would be gained not through compromise with the enemy but through submitting to death on a cross for the sins of the world. Following his death and resurrection, Jesus spoke these words to his first followers: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations …” According to Matthew, these remain the marching orders for Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ response to the tempter’s final test leads to a third principle: Engage the world without compromising God’s mission. Loyalty matters. God is looking for women and men who have settled the loyalty question upfront. God has a job for God’s people to accomplish: make disciples of all nations. To fulfill this task God’s people need to engage fully the world in which they live without compromising their commitment to God. Have we settled the loyalty question? Conclusion After the devil left, angels arrived to care for Jesus. The time of Jesus’ testing ended. It was now time for Jesus to launch into the mission that God sent him to live. He had prepared well. He had settled in advance the issues of self-interest, trust and loyalty. Now he was ready for action. Let us end with the Wooden quotation stated earlier: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” What about us? Are we ready to live the life of God’s dreams? Are we ready to engage the world with the message of hope, healing and restoration that Jesus has made possible through his life, his death and his resurrection? Have we settled the issue in advance? |
||
