Western Presbyterian Church
Washington, D.C.
21 February 2010
Text: Luke 4:1-13
I’m sure there are some people who were waiting to hear what Tiger Woods had to say this week. The golfer was caught with a text message to a lover a while ago, and it seems that everything has fallen apart in his life since then.
I actually have a hard time following the story. It’s like a bad car wreck and I’m not even tempted to rubberneck. It just reminds me of the frailty of human life. No matter how rich, strong, successful, or talented you are, there always seems to be some weakness.
After 11 years in the ministry, I have talked to a lot of people who struggle with temptations. It’s odd the desires are different for different people. For some, there are sexual temptations–affairs, pornography, or prostitution. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to be about the sex, but more about the affection. There’s a craving for compliments, being held, and being desired. There might be a natural longing that can become destructive when we look to fulfill that yearning in the wrong ways.
For others it’s food, people are tempted to eat too much or starve themselves. For some it’s a chemical dependence on alcohol, drugs, or prescription medication.
For others it is work—they cannot stop working. They are sure that everything will fall apart if they go on vacation, and when they are on vacation, they cannot stop checking emails. Our technology feeds into this sort of addiction quite handily. Our gadgets were often sold to us as a way to get away from the office and still get our work done, but now they’ve turned into a way in which we can never leave the office. The work and the expectation to work are always with us.
Some people are addicted to anger, and they blow up and do things that they would never do in more levelheaded moments. It’s just that their own fears overtake them, and in order to combat those anxieties, they have this anger. When anger is unleashed in our bodies, we can feel a surge of power, and we can make other people afraid. Even though we do not like the consequences, we cannot seem to stop the cycle, because of that seemingly invincible rush of power that takes over.
It is different for different people. I have a friend whose greatest temptation is gambling. When she told me that, I just remembered going to the casinos in Louisiana. They often had the best food, but it was the oddest thing to watch people at the slot machines. They were glossy-eyed and sometimes they would have two machines going at one time.
One time, I decided that I would spend twenty dollars on slots. I wanted to understand the appeal. It did nothing for me. In fact, after ten dollars, I had to quit, because I felt like I could throw the money out on the street and it would do more good.
Gambling is not my temptation, but food depravation and working too much are. You see, I can boldly confess these things to you because these temptations to you, because they’re not shameful in our society. Our society congratulates people who are productive and thin, and it keeps awarding us even when we overwork and starve our bodies. Unfortunately, the two temptations conspire together. I work through breakfast; I work through lunch. I work, and I forget to eat.
I notice these temptations are common sins for women. There is a myth in our society that successful women put less hours into their jobs, because they have a better work/life balance. Especially, younger feminists. We’re supposed to have a good handle on all of this. That may be true for some women. But studies have shown that if you put a successful woman next to a successful man, the woman typically puts in more hours. This is, in part to crack the glass ceiling. It is also because we have to overcome the stereotype that we are going to work less than men. (It’s a vicious cycle.)
It is interesting that right after Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit gently flew down like a beautiful dove, then it says that the Spirit hurled him into the wilderness for a time of testing and temptation. In the Greek, in Mark’s original account, the verb is just that harsh. Jesus was driven into the wilderness, to fast and pray for forty days—and to be tempted.
And it is interesting to see what tempted Jesus. First it was food, but after not eating for that long, anyone would be tempted by bread. It was also power. Jesus was tempted to gain power in inappropriate ways. This is fascinating because Jesus is known for his servant leadership. He is known for washing the feet of his friends, and carrying the cross. But I wonder if Jesus struggled more with all of that–even more than most people. I mean, when the adversary went to tempt Jesus, it was not with slot machines, sex, drugs, but it was with power.
I think it’s safe to say that many of us here in Washington have that in common with Jesus. People want power and they will try to gain it at all costs. Whether that means making up lies, slandering others, backstabbing friends, silencing minorities, ignoring the poor—it is a great temptation. We might be like Jesus, in the sense that we want the power so that we can eventually use it for good things, but we still have to fight the temptation of getting the power in the wrong way.
As we enter Lent, we are reminded of this dynamic in all of our lives. Our temptations may be different, but they are there.
How do we resist them? Some of this might seem completely elementary, but as anyone who has been caught with his or her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, we know that we can end up acting like children. So, I guess it’s good to remind each other of the basics.
First, identify what your temptations are. If your sins are ones that are encouraged by our society, like mine are, they can be hard to identify. But a close friend or spouse can usually tell you exactly what they are. In fact, they probably already have.
Sometimes we can’t hear them, if we’re not ready to identify our temptations. I knew a guy a few years ago who went in for counseling, and the therapist started asking about his drinking habits. He kept telling the therapist, “I don’t have a problem with drinking.” She kept asking the usual questions about how much he drank and when he drank and what sort of social situations he drank in. He refused to answer her and never went back to therapy again.
I don’t know if he has a problem, but I do know that if he does, he won’t identify it. The sad thing is that our problems don’t go away if we don’t name them.
Second, think about the circumstances surrounding the tempting situation. Are there common triggers that you can avoid? Do you overwork when you are receiving a lot of criticism? Do you find refuge at the office when things are rough at home? Do you get angry when you are afraid? Do you seek unhealthy affection when you feel unattractive? Do you participate in unhealthy behavior when you are around particular people? If you have a common trigger, then think about ways to avoid the trigger. Sometimes it’s easier to avoid the entire wilderness than it is to avoid the temptation in the wilderness.
If you feel overwhelmed by criticism, do things to take care of yourself. I often take walks and pray. I even buy myself flowers, on occasion.
If there are problems at home, try to talk about them to your spouse. Or go to counseling, instead of sweeping it under the rug. When you find yourself angry, take a pulse on your emotions. Is there something that you are afraid of? Is there something that is making you depressed?
What about your friends? If there is someone you drink too much with, and you want to quit drinking, then don’t call that person to tell her how you want to stop. That’s just not going to work. You’ll have to find some other friends.
Speaking of friends, that leads me to the third point. Gather some support. Twelve-step groups have saved my family members. I have watched them save marriages, relationships, careers, and lives. I have heard a thousand arguments against them. I have heard the feminist critiques. I know that there have been some pretty severe problems with an AA group here in D.C. But I also know their power to change lives. They are free. They are always available. If you’re creeped out by one, then find another one. But if you need it, then go.
I have watched friends and loved ones come up with every excuse in the world not to go to a 12-step program, while their lives went into a complete shambles. When they finally ran out of excuses, then they were able to get the support they needed. And they rebuilt their lives.
If there is no group, and you’re serious about making a change, then find someone who can support you. A friend you can call, at any time day or night, when you feel like you’re in the wilderness. I know it’s hard to make friends here in D.C. Everyone is so transient and work-oriented. But you might need to reach out to someone, because you need someone whom you can call. No one needs to be in the wilderness, facing your temptation all by yourself. Find someone you can trust. Talk to them. You might be thinking that it could ruin your career if you talked to someone. But it just might ruin your career if you don’t talk to someone.
And look at me, I’m a pastor. Pastors are often the first people to get fired if they have a temptation that they can’t overcome. And I found someone. (The trick might be to find someone who has more to lose than you do!) Pray about it. You’ll find someone.
The beautiful thing about church, about coming together here, the amazing thing about Lent, is that we are called to examine our lives, we are called to look at our wilderness situations, we are called to think about the times when we are tempted. We are called to confess what we have done, not so that we can be judged and condemned. Not so that someone can tell you that you are going to hell. But so that you can find that place of mercy and grace, so that you can be so surrounded by the love of God that it will transform your life. We are held by the embrace of God, who loves us as a mother loves her child, and in this season, we have a chance to be forgiven by God and to change.
Thanks be to God, our Creator,
God, our Liberator,
and God, our Sustainer. Amen.
