God's Last Words

(I'm on vacation but here is a bonus sermon for you on what the Scripture was this week - wrote just for you!)

EVEN Jesus needed help.
Matthew 4: 1-11 (NRSV)

These warnings, among others, are found on consumer products:

    
     •  on a Duraflame fireplace log: “Caution: Risk of Fire.”

•  on a Batman costume: “Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.”

     •  on a bottle of hair coloring: “Do not use as an ice cream topping.”
     •  on a cardboard sun shield for a car: “Do not drive with sun shield in place.”
     •  on a portable stroller: “Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage.” 

Many people go through life not realizing that evil and potential evil exists as an actual real presence in the world that they need to be aware of and protected against. As we often say pre-warned is prepared!  

One of the reasons I am not endorsing the movie “Son of God,” is that all references to Jesus’ temptation and interaction with Satan in the Wilderness has been removed due to political correctness (The actor portraying the devil looks too much like Barack Obama). This censuring of evil happens far too often. 

C. S. Lewis, writing in the Screwtape Letters, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, the other is to believe and to feel an unhealthy interest in them!” 

Jesus, by example, tells us to do good and resist evil where we find it. In a small town, there were two brothers who, over the course of many years, cheated, swindled, robbed and generally stole from everyone that they ever did business with.

The community reviled and despised these two brothers as everyone was aware of just how disreputable and dishonest they were. One day, one of the brothers mysteriously died.

      
Although they had never attended church, the one remaining brother went to the local pastor and offered vast sums of money if he would come to the funeral and say the appropriate words, AND, a large bonus, but ONLY if he would - during the course of the eulogy, refer to his brother as "a Saint."  

The pastor was troubled by the request, however, it was a very poor church and the church desperately needed repairs. The Parishioners had heard about the pastor's dilemma and were curious as to what he would do.

The Funeral began, the church was packed, and the pastor started with the usual prayers and followed the rites and traditions as required by the churches teachings. In closing, after referring to the man in the box, he paused and turned to face the remaining brother.

He began, "As you all know, the departed was an awful individual who robbed, cheated, swindled and stole from everyone he ever did business with. However, compared to his Brother, he was - "a Saint!" 

Hear the words of Matthew 4: 1-11 - Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of god, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down: for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your god, and serve only him.’” 

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 

St. Augustine once said, “God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.” (So we could laugh at Obama’s looking like evil, right?) 

J. Von Miller summarized “Good has but one enemy, the evil; but the evil has two enemies, the good and itself.” 

How we deal with evil is an important question each of us must face. It is a question of two parts: recognizing evil and then dealing with it.  

If we learn to recognize evil by learning to living a Christian worldview, that is by knowing and understanding God’s laws and commands, and using the examples of Jesus we should easily recognize evil. But there still is temptation.

 

The Huntington River Gorge, near Richmond, Vermont, is beautiful but deadly. In the last forty years, twenty persons (mostly young adults in their twenties and thirties) have lost their lives in the gorge, with hundreds injured.  

On the surface the water of the gorge looks calm, but beneath it are strong currents that run swiftly over treacherous waterfalls and whirlpools. Public safety officials have designated the gorge “the single most deadly place in the state.”  

Warning signs have been posted on a side of the gorge, reading, “When the water is high due to rain or snowmelt, especially powerful currents can easily sweep you over the falls and trap you underneath the water.” 

Many people are debating about what to do about the gorge. Some argue for more public information about the gorge’s risks. Others want to ban anyone from visiting the place. Meanwhile, swimmers continue to be attracted to the scene.  

One college student attending the University of Vermont — just fourteen miles from the gorge — said she had heard about the beauty of Huntington River Gorge and wanted to see it. She said people already know about the dangers and try their best to be careful. “You can’t change the water, and you can’t stop people from going in,” she said.  

You just have to learn to recognize the perils of temptation, including the dangers it poses to your mental, physical, and spiritual health.  

How do we deal with evil? 

The most important piece of advice Israel Gaither, national commander for the Salvation Army, gives to instill employees with a sense of motivation about Christian living and values as a life mission:

Ø Begin the day with prayer. 

When asked about the tip, “Can it be that simple? Can everyone stay out of trouble with a morning prayer?” Gaither responded, “I serve in a world weakened by sin. That’s the context in which I serve, and I have to ask God to protect me — my mind, my thinking, and my behavior. Is that the path to help an organization and a person to do what is right? Yeah, I think that’s the way to do it.” 

Jesus was ready to allow His Heavenly Father be His protector when faced with evil and temptation. Why should we do any different? Amen.