by Kim Thoday

Luke portrays Jesus as the new Adam. There are three important stories that Luke stitches together at the beginning of his telling of Jesus’ ministry. The first story is about Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan (Luke 3: 21- 22). The second story is Luke’s version of Jesus’ genealogy (family tree, Luke 3:23-38). The third story is about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:11-13). The three stories, together, are a powerful sermon upon the identity of Jesus. The first story, Jesus’ Baptism, heralds the content of that identity: Jesus is God’s Son! ‘And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”‘(Luke 3: 22b) . This declaration by God fleshes out Jesus’ identity in an amazing way. Jesus is not just a Son. Jesus is a greatly loved Son. The language here is dynamic. God is revealed to be like a parent full of love and pleasure, vicariously enjoying the interdependent development of the child. Jesus, then is the greatly treasured procreation of a loving and gracious God.

The very first procreation of God, according to the Biblical tradition, is Adam (Genesis 5:1). Adam too is God’s greatly treasured procreation. Genesis also speaks of a dynamic loving relationship. In the first creation story when God creates the first human beings, they are described as being created in God’s image (Genesis 1: 27a). The very essence of human being is reflective of God’s loving and gracious nature. So too Jesus is depicted as imaging his heavenly Parent. The second story of Jesus’ genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) traces a familial line through the priestly and kingly families right back to Adam. This family tree is in reverse order compared to Matthew’s version. It begins with Jesus and his human parent Joseph and ends with the important identification of Jesus for Luke, namely, that Jesus is the ‘… son of Adam, the son of God’ (Lk 3:38b). For Luke, Jesus’ identity is both the greatly loved son of God and the new Adam. Now this identity will be tested, as Luke moves us with Jesus into the wilderness (the story of Jesus’ temptation).

In some important ways the testing or temptation of Jesus – the new Adam, has strong resonances with the temptations of the first Adam in Genesis.

Firtsly, certain foods were taboo in the Garden of Eden. When tempted, Adam and Eve ate and therefore transgressed, death resulted according to Genesis (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-5). In parallel contrast, Jesus, the new Adam, though starving, when tempted to eat (Luke 4:3) resists and remains firm in his identity as the Adam God intended, truly the Son of God.

Secondly, the original Adam is given power and authority over all creation (Gen 1:26-28). However, this Adam of Genesis, is tempted along with Eve to abuse that power, ‘… to become like God’ (Gen 3:5). In contradistinction, Jesus, the beloved Son of God, resists the temptation of personalised power and remains obedient and faithful to God (Luke 4:8).

Thirdly, Adam and Eve are deceived by the tempter into believing that the will not die if they eat of the forbidden fruit. This contravenes the earlier divine imperative: ‘The day you eat it, you shall die,’ (Gen 2:17). Once again in Luke’s temptation of Jesus, the new Adam is also invited to disregard the divine order of things (Luke 4:12): the tempter places Jesus on the high point of the Temple and throw himself off, in order to defy death and put God to the test. Jesus resists this temptation and for the time being the devil leaves him.

Jesus, according to Luke’s powerful three-point sermon, is the new Adam, the ideal Adam, which God had intended at the very beginning. Yet humankind could not resist the tempter without divine intervention. And so the message of the Gospel is that God, in his infinite wisdom, sent his greatly loved Son to be that intervention. Unlike the first Adam, the archetype of broken humanity, the new Adam, did not disobey God – rather the dynamic divine relationship of Grace, is manifest in Jesus of Nazareth. At a formal level, Luke 4:1-13 is a confirmation of Jesus’ identity as ‘Son of Adam, Son of God.’ Though the devil still lurks at the end of this passage, his days are numbered. With the first Adam, the devil wins. With the new Adam, the devil is defeated. The first Adam falls, the new Adam rises. For the new Adam is the greatly loved Son and nothing, not all the temptation the devil can amass, not even death itself, can sever the dynamic relationship between God and God’s incarnation – Jesus. At the Baptism, Jesus’ identity is sealed and that identity of God’s outpouring love and grace, obedience and service remains in tact throughout the great contest between Jesus and the power of evil.

The temptations of Jesus are also our temptations. Ironically, it was Oscar Wild who said: ‘I can resist anything but temptation.’ Luke provides us with three iconoclastic temptations that we all face. There is a sense in which all spiritual quests involve the testings and temptations. It is a theme that belongs to all the ancient faiths. On the spiritual journey, the pilgrim is driven to strange places, mystical and dark places. In these places the holy person confronts the demons and roaming spirits of their own fears, fantasies and frustrations. It is exactly these conditions of human being that Jesus confronts in his battle with the tempter.

FEARS, FANTASIES, FRUSTRATIONS:

1. Fears

Even the strong have fears. Often, in fact, strength is built upon fear. Castles were built out of fear. Hitler and Stalin in many respects constructed their empires upon fear. We all have fears. Fear is part of the reality of human being. Paradoxically, it is in our strength that we can be most vulnerable to fear. Interestingly, the first temptation is an appeal not to Jesus’ weakness, but to his strength. The tempter plays upon that

strength – Jesus’ identity. Jesus is God’s Son. He is the new Adam. So surely he has the strength, the power, indeed the superhuman power, to overcome this great hunger he is experiencing in the desert. So the tempter provokes Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread” (Lk 4:3). Most of us of the first world could not imagine the degree of this temptation. It would be like being lost in a desert, days in the scorching, unrelenting sun, close to death and saying ‘NO’ to a cold glass of water that miraculously appears! But here Jesus is not hallucinating.

Luke tells this first temptation as a poignant reminder to us all, that we are not so strong really. It only takes an accident or a lustful temptation or a loss of job or a loss of a loved one and we realise how vulnerable we all are. Would any of us do what Jesus did in the desert? Well, let’s be honest, would we? The threat of starvation or of death would rank amongst our greatest fears. What kind of strength is being demonstrated here? It is the strength of an identity that is thoroughly grounded in an absolute faith in God. So Luke’s Jesus rebukes the temptation with the truth that he knows in the deepest recesses of his being: “Human-beings do not live by bread alone” (Luke 4:4).

In many respects this first temptation is symbolic of the wide spread disease that is perpetrated by the Western world and threatens the future of our whole world. It is the disease of spiritual materialism. It forms the basis of much New Age thinking, it has underpinned the doctrines of communism and capitalism and it is rabidly infecting many expressions of Western Christianity. Subtly, the tempter suggests that the spiritual quest promises unlimited prosperity. Well, after all, say the prosperity preachers, you deserve the very best! Everyone can be wealthy! It’s God’s blessing upon those who live good Christian lives. Hasn’t God given us this bountiful world for us to enjoy? Why shouldn’t we have everything we desire.

A friend I recently baptised tells of how his spiritual journey began. During his twenties he joined the St John’s Ambulance service. Soon he was to help look after a boy who was living with leukemia. He was always struck by the positive attitude of the young lad as he drove him to hospital several times a week. The boy would jokingly speak of his trip as another ‘grease and oil change.’ The boy would speak openly of his Christian faith and the strength that God gave him to face each new day as he gradually lost his battle with the aggressive cancer. One day my friend dropped the boy off at the hospital and said that he would be back later to take him home. But the boy said no, this time he would not be coming home. This was to be his last trip to the hospital. They spoke for some time and the boy talked of his death with peace and inner strength. My friend was inspired by the boy’s courage and his faith that God would be his refuge. So often when we feel strong and in control we forget that God is our only refuge. The boy’s faithfulness touched many people and gave ultimate meaning and purpose to life. This boy’s strength lay not in self-interest; rather, it welled up from an intimate dynamic connection with the love and grace of Jesus, the new Adam. In the laying down of his life to Jesus, my friend found his life. As a direct result of the faith of this young boy my friend made the decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God! Indeed we do not live by bread alone.

2. Fantasies

One of the most dangerous fantasies of the human condition is the temptation of power. In the second temptation of Jesus the tempter entices Jesus to substitute his spiritual power for personal power. Jesus is given a panoramic view of all the kingdoms of the world. The Devil proclaims, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority … if you, then, will worship me, it will be yours’ (Lk 4:7). Here is the perennial seduction to use personal and political power to bring some version of the kingdom of God on earth. This is the terrible seduction that particularly afflicts those who are given power and authority over others. The temptation here is to believe our own mythology. Here is the problem of idolatry, when we give others the impression that we are God-like. Sometimes preachers and Christian leaders over step the mark and suggest that they speak as God. Political leaders sometimes will do the same. This is where religious belief and political pragmatism becomes a dangerous mix.

Certainly, the spiritual life calls us to participate in the ‘kingdoms’ of this life. It is not as our current Prime Minister would have us believe that Churches should keep out of the political process. In a democracy we have a right to speak out and influence policy, just as any other legitimate interest group. Yet essentially our job is not to seek to control or dominate or centralise power but rather, to work for a world that offers all equity and justice; a world that treats every living thing as sister and brother; a world of Eden that God envisioned before time. Jesus resists the temptation of personal power and instead, in humility, acknowledges that all power belongs to God. He answers the tempter: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’ (Lk 4:8). Power is perfected in weakness, said the Apostle Paul. That is, power and authority are transformative and liberating when we use them with great humility, recognising our fallibility and that ultimately such qualities belong to God. Jesus of Nazareth remains our supreme example. In him, the new Adam, the new way of being, is demonstrated for all time.

One of the most powerful persons I know is a lady in her eighties who is part of our congregation. She is extremely frail, sick, hospitalised for much of the time and yet she has been blessed with an alert mind. Over the past few years she has believed that her ministry is with the young people of our Church. Out of the small amount that is left over from her pension each week, she gives to our youth ministry. And, in the last two years she has prayed everyday for all of our young people. In that time our youth ministry has multiplied spiritually and numerically. Yes, you heard it right, she has prayed every day, without fail. As new young people join the youth groups, she is forwarded that information and she adds them to her prayer list. She writes notes of encouragement and tries to meet other needs for the youth ministry if she is able. From the point of view of our dominant culture, this lady has little going for her. She has minimal family support, she is thoroughly dependent on others and most simple body movements are difficult and painful. Yet she is one of the most joyful people I know. She has a heart of gratitude and lives out a life that brings transformation and liberation to all she meets. Every time I sit with her she speaks quietly and firmly of her faith in God and her love of Jesus who gives her strength and inspiration. A few weeks ago, seventeen of our young people (between 13 and 16 years old) went together to visit her in hospital. The idea came from the young people. I was privileged to go with them and participated in one of those moments that occurs all too rarely. It was a God moment, a God encounter, in every way. There we were gathered around her hospital bed. Each of the young people took turn to speak to her. One of our young people prayed. There was hardly a dry eye. The atmosphere was electric. Here was power perfected in weakness. In a feeble, soft voice that spoke through her tears, came a strong sermon on God’s love for these young people. For nearly ten minutes the young people remained riveted to where they stood, listening to a frail lady who was connected to machines throug h a multitude tubes and cords. She spoke confidently of the power of Jesus Christ to bring fulfilment and meaning to human existence even in the hard times. And she went on to affirm the young people for their love and concern and then she prayed for them. Later she told me that this moment with our young people was one of the most important in her life. In this lady I encountered again the living Jesus, demonstrating the love of God for her young brothers and sisters.

3. Frustrations.

One of the most pervading problems for anyone who takes their faith seriously is the frustrations of life. In our era especially, we are encouraged live instantly. Increasingly we expect to have our needs and desires met ‘yesterday.’ We live in an era of instant gratification. Yet we constantly find our expectations frustrated. The goods that our culture promises with such bright lights aren’t delivered. We are let down by the get rich quick schemes, the time payment exercise machines, the ‘eat all you can’ diet programs, the time sharing holiday apartment, the investment plans, the professional voice on the phone that says: “Congratulations you have just won a free evaluation of your home and you have been placed in a new competition with a chance to win a new car!” These voices are so tempting. No one is immune from such tempting. Neither was Jesus. Neither was the original Adam. He gave into that temptation and it was a deadly one. But Jesus resisted this temptation to flirt with a deathly existence.

In the third temptation, the tempter takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple. The devil, appealing to scriptural authority, tempts Jesus to throw himself off, for surely the Son of God will be protected. Jesus resists the temptation and declares with a counter injunction: ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”‘ (Lk 4:12)

This episode contains an element of irony. And the irony continues today, for the orchestrated spectacles of the quick fix often occur in the sanctuary, in the temple, both secular and religious. Political and religious gurus are to be found on ‘temple pinnacles’ promoting their magical wonder cures. Here are the emerging egos trading on the frustrations of the masses.

It is tempting, oh so tempting, to embrace the quick fixes. However, in terms of finding real lasting meaning and value in life, such indulgences are deadly. Jesus, the new Adam, resists the illusions of indestructibility, of life without death. The original Adam acts in a God-like manner and as a result suffers the consequences of death. Jesus, the new Adam, accepts the frustrations of his wilderness journey, trusts God without needing to test God and consequently mortality loses its pervasiveness. Learning to live within limitations, with frustrations and with faith and trust in God is to share the life enhancing journey and way of being human of the new Adam, Jesus Christ. When we resist the temptations of the frustrated ego, we make room in our lives for God to truly heal, restore, and save. Living this way is allowing God to be God. Living this way is to experience God as miraculous, liberating and eternal. Living this way is to find our selves.

Jesus went into the wilderness to find out what it meant to be Jesus. The tempter in a sense helped him look at the possibilities. Jesus had to make some important choices. So do we. Some choices lead to fear, fantasy and frustration. The choice to follow Jesus, the new Adam, the new way of being, is to begin the process of living for the things we would die for. The tempter will always try to get us to die to get the things we would live for. This is what the first Adam could not resist but the second Adam died to resist so that we can all resist and have everlasting life. This is the message of the season of Lent. It is a message that tells us who we are and how we are to live.

Jim Wallis, pastor, preacher, evangelist and founder of Sojourners Community, wrote of a conference he attended once in New York City that consisted of theologians, pastors, priests, nuns and lay church leaders. He writes:

‘At one point a Native American stood up, looked out over the mostly white audience, and said: “Regardless of what the New Testament says, most Christians are materialists with no experience of the Spirit. Regardless of what the New Testament says, most Christians are individualists with no real experience of community.” He paused for a moment and then continued: “Let’s pretend that you were all Christians. If you were Christians, you would no longer accumulate. You would share everything you had. You would actually love one another. And you would treat each other as if you were family.” His eyes were piercing as he asked, “Why don’t you do that? Why don’t you live that way?” There was more sophisticated theological and political analysis per square foot in that room than most places. Yet no one could give an answer to the man’s questions.” (The Call to Conversion, p.18.)

Grace and Peace,

Kim Thoday, Hewett Community Church of Christ, South Australia

http://www.hewett.org.au