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Sermon from this week
Fear is a universal human experience. We fear the unknown; we fear failure; we fear loss, and we fear being vulnerable. It can paralyse us and make us act in ways contrary to our best instincts. Fear is the product of living in a world filled with uncertainty. And while the world has always been uncertain, our constant access to negative information magnifies our fears more than any generation before us. A constant stream of bad news bombards us, and the unscrupulous in our society stoke it and exploit it.
Yet we also know that fear is not the way we are called to live. Love and faith are an antidote to fear. In the passage we explore today, Luke 4:1–13, we find Jesus in the wilderness, facing three temptations that tests his trust in God. These temptations are not just about choosing right or wrong; they are about choosing whether to give into fear.
Jesus’ response to each temptation is rooted in his trust in God. He doesn’t give in to the fear of scarcity, the fear of suffering, or the fear of abandonment. So, as we reflect on Jesus' experience in the wilderness, we will examine how fear may be blighting our lives and how we, too, may need to consciously choose trust over fear.
1. The Wilderness as a Place of Growth, Not Just Testing (Luke 4:1–2)
So, first, let us look at the setting: the wilderness. It is a place of struggle. It seems barren, desolate, and there are few obvious signs of life for those not looking very hard.
We often use it as an analogy for our deepest fears—our insecurities, doubts, and weaknesses. We wilderness see it as a desolate place, with no clear path forward. But the wilderness is also a place of transformation. It is where, stripped of everything that could distract us, we are faced with what is most important. We must consider what we need to do to survive.
I also think we acknowledge that we often miss the signs of life in the wilderness, but it isn’t what we are expecting. The wilderness is a place of strangeness and unfamiliarity.
So, while we may find ourselves in a strange place that strips away our preconceptions, God is with us, just as the Spirit was with Jesus in the wilderness, offering guidance, strength, and grace. We are never truly alone.
2. The Temptation to Control (Luke 4:3–4)
The first temptation comes after Jesus has been fasting for forty days. Which isn’t a numerical number but a biblical phrase that means a long time. In our account, Satan., the fool and deceiver, speaks to him and says, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” On the surface, this might seem like a straightforward temptation: Jesus is hungry, and he’s being tempted to use his power to satisfy that hunger. But on a deeper level, this is a temptation to control—an attempt to manipulate the situation to make things easier, to avoid the discomfort of hunger, and to rely on his own strength rather than God’s provision.
Control is something we are all tempted to seek. When we’re anxious about our future, we often try to take control of our circumstances to eliminate uncertainty. We may control our situation, our relationships, our finances—anything to avoid the fear of vulnerability, lack, or dependence. But the temptation here is to forget that we are not in control of everything.
Jesus’ response is important for us to hear: “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’” He chooses to trust that God’s provision is more than enough. Jesus does not deny the reality of his hunger, but he is refusing to let his desire for control dictate his choices.
In our own lives, the temptation to control often stems from fear. We fear that if we let go of control, things will fall apart, that we will be left vulnerable or exposed. So we put energy into trying to control what we can’t. We exhaust ourselves and alienate others. But Jesus teaches us that there is freedom in trusting that God will provide, even if it doesn’t look like what we expect.
3. The Temptation to Avoid Suffering (Luke 4:5–8)
The temptation of Power.
The deceiver offers him power over all the empires of the world, that he will be important and power. This, of course, is foolish. Jesus is already the most important person.
But it speaks to our own desires. We all like to think we are somehow special or on the flip side, feeling that we are somehow lacking because we are not as special as we’d like. So we seek ways to make ourselves seem better, either by chasing symbols of status or perhaps trying to tear down those who make us feel inferior, or worse, making sure there is someone below us we can look down on us.
And why do we do this because we have never really ever internalised that we are beautiful irreplaceable children of God? How would our lives be different if we really believed that we are enough would we need anything else? Would we need to feel special if we already deeply understood that we already are?
4. The Temptation to Place Trust in False Promises (Luke 4:9–12)
The third and final temptation involves placing trust in false promises. The devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and challenges him to throw himself down, quoting scripture: “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” The devil is asking Jesus to test God’s promises—to force God’s hand, to demand proof of God’s protection.
We often hear what we want to hear. There are times we overlook everything obvious, or we view things selectively so they fit into our worldview. We often close our eyes to what is in front of us sometimes. And we listen to people who tell us things we want to hear.
I think in our country we are in strange times. A political system that has lasted us for over a century seems in free fall. As people of faith, we need to ask ourselves: are the things people are saying things that align with the values of mercy and kindness and inclusion.
5. The Power of Choosing Trust Over Fear
The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is a powerful reminder that, even in moments of testing, we have a choice. Trust is not the absence of fear, but the decision to follow God’s way despite our fears. It is a conscious decision to lean into God’s love and guidance, even when the path is unclear or difficult.
Jesus’ response to the devil's temptations was not just about resisting evil—it was about aligning his life with the will of God. And in doing so, he shows us that trust in God is not about avoiding challenges, but about trusting that God will walk with us through them.
As we face our own fears—whether they are related to our personal lives, our communities, or the world at large—we are invited to make the same choice. Will we allow fear to dictate our choices, or will we choose trust in the God who is with us, even in the wilderness?
In this season of Lent that begins this week, as we reflect on Jesus’ time in the wilderness, we are called to examine our own relationship with fear and trust. The wilderness is not just a place of testing; it is a place where we can choose to deepen our faith, to confront our fears, and to trust in the God who leads us through every wilderness, every challenge, and every temptation.
So, let us choose trust over fear—trust that God’s provision is enough, trust that God’s way is the path to true freedom, and trust that God is with us through every high and low. May we walk through the wilderness with faith, knowing that we are not alone.
Take a moment today to reflect on areas of your life where fear might be driving your decisions. Where are you tempted to control the situation, avoid discomfort, or place trust in false promises? How can you face up to your fears and overcome them?