“It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God
to the test.’” (Luke 4:12b)
I had the good fortune,
in my seminary days, to study the New Testament under the tutelage of the
distinguished Bible scholar, the late Reverend Doctor John H.P. Reumann. Dr.
Reumann was a scholar’s scholar. He had an eidetic memory, was scrupulously
detail-oriented, and his examinations were tougher than John Wayne with a
hangover. Perspiration still breaks out on my forehead whenever I recall
sitting for his final exam on the Gospel of John—an exam which, I’m sorry to
admit, I actually flunked[i].
In our Gospel lesson for
Lent 1, Year C (Luke 4:1-13), Jesus is undergoing a pretty grueling exam of his
own. If you read this passage in the New Revised Standard Version, verse 2
might read, “where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” Dr.
Reumann would be proud of me (I hope) if he knew I had looked this word up in
the original Greek and discovered that the word for “tempted” is peirasmos, which
has the original meaning of “tested.[ii]”
I’ve been a teacher in
one way or another for much of my working life. Whether it was lecturing to
college students, teaching special ed in middle schools, or trying to cram
Luther’s Small Catechism into the heads of youngsters in my parish
preparing to make their Confirmation, I have had to rely on giving tests. I
don’t think I’ve ever met a student who looked forward to taking a test. Tests
are, generally speaking, regarded with a certain sense of dread. And yet, they
are necessary. The reason tests are given (at least for the one who gives the
test) is to discover what a student does or does not know. Tests are a
necessary diagnostic. We test something or someone for the purpose of
discovery.
Even if test-taking is
your least favorite activity, you have to admit there is something to be gained
from the experience. When I return a student’s paper and they’ve marked an
answer wrong, I always let them know what the correct answer is. In this way,
even a wrong answer becomes a learning experience. I don’t give tests to
embarrass students or trip them up.
Neither does God.
The tests and trials of
our lives, as unpleasant as they may be, are all learning experiences. They are
meant to teach us about ourselves. We can also learn a bit from the way our
Lord was tested.
Two things are important
in this Biblical narrative. First, Jesus might be on a high because he’s just
been baptized and named God’s Beloved Son.[iii] Second, he’s been in the
wilderness for forty days and hasn’t eaten anything. Both circumstances are
great opportunities for the devil to do a little testing. Whenever you think
you’ve got the world by the Fruit of the Looms or whenever you think
you’re lonely, in a confusing and empty place, or deeply in want—that’s
the time you’re going to find yourself tested. Whenever we start thinking it’s
all about us, the devil is waiting.
Knowing your scripture is
a great way to get through a test. Jesus could quote scripture to the devil and
was quick with a rebuttal when the devil started quoting scripture to him.
We also learn here what
Jesus really cares about. Jesus didn’t come to rule the world. If he did, he
had his chance. As Christians, it’s not our job to dominate everyone in
society. We’re called to be witnesses, servants, and teachers, not rulers.
We also learn we
can be tested, but it’s not for us to give the test. If we start thinking what
we do is going to influence God, we are going to be disappointed. It’s pretty
dangerous to start firing questions at God and demanding explanations like Job
in the Old Testament. We’d best be on our guard against magical thinking which
expects God to answer to us. Whenever we do this, we’ve left religion for
superstition. True faith is to let God influence us.
Perhaps the most
important lesson is knowing that Jesus has gone through what we go through. God
understands what it’s like to be tested. So does everyone else. You are not
alone in the wilderness, even if it feels as if you are. You can reach out to
Christ and to your neighbor.
Finally, we learn there
is no final exam. The scripture tells us the devil “departed from him until an
opportune time.” There will be another test after this one. You will do just
fine on that one, too. Don’t let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.
You have Jesus. You have the scriptures. You have your brothers and sisters in
Christ. You have faith. You’re going to ace this.
God’s peace to you, my
friend, during this season of Lent. May the disciplines of Lent draw you closer
to God and to yourself.
[i]
Yup. Got a big, fat “F” on this one. Fortunately, so did many of my classmates.
Dr. Reumann—a great believer in grace—re-weighted his exam to give more credit
for the numerous definitions portion of the test and less to the massive essay
on the possible theories of the Fourth Gospel’s origin. I’d managed to remember
just enough of the later part to get snuck up into a passing grade.
[ii] I
remembered in John 6:6 Jesus jerks Philip around by asking him how he thinks
5,000 people are going to get fed. The verse says, “He said this to test
him.” The word peirasmos is used in this passage for “test,” so I’m
assuming it’s the preferred reading of the word. I can feel Dr. Reumann
smiling.
[iii]
Luke 3:22
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