The objective of this lesson: (1) to deepen our understanding of the evil result of this temptation; (2) to see how easily human suffering leads the believer to this temptation.
One of the complaints God voiced against His people focused on their inability to discern. In Isaiah's list of woes [basic offenses against God] pronounced against Judah is the woe of Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" A similar warning is given by Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 7:6: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." The problem is the inability to discern. Humans often demonstrate the destructive inability to discern. The origin of slavery to evil has roots in Eve's failure to exercise discernment (Genesis 3:6).
Christians do not stress or understand the importance of godly discernment. Too often today's restoration movement places the emphasis in questionable places. We too easily confuse what is important to us with what is important to God. To exercise a discernment that focuses on God's will, Christians need (1) an understanding of God's values and concerns and (2) the spiritual maturity to focus on God instead of ourselves.
Do not be disturbed by the failures of those whose lack of discernment produced disaster! If we focus on past failures in discernment, we become blind to our own failures to discern and perpetuate the disaster. If we are deceived into thinking most of today's Christians exercise appropriate discernment, listen. How often do you think to yourself or hear yourself say, "I do not see anything wrong with that! It is ridiculous to think that is evil!" If a person sees nothing "wrong" with "something," the "something" commonly becomes "good" in that person's perspective.
It is much too simple to lament mistakes of discernment in the past lives of people of faith. To focus on mistakes of discernment for the purposes of (1) learning, (2) better equipping ourselves to discern, (3) increasing our spiritual maturity, and (4) creating better insights into God's purposes is good. To focus on mistakes of other's discernment for the purpose of hiding our mistakes of discernment is bad. Other people's poor judgment does not excuse our mistakes of poor judgment.
Isaiah speaking in God's voice was grieved that Israel lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil, between darkness and light, and between matters that were bitter or sweet to God. Jesus grieved because Judah did not know when or before whom to take a stand. He warned his disciples against making Judah's mistake!
The mistakes of ungodly discernment are ancient failures. These mistakes are clearly seen in Israel's history. They are clearly seen in Jesus' teachings. One of the common mistakes of the first century spiritual leaders in Israel was the failure to discern God's will and ways.
The power of discernment is tested severely when a godly person seeks to distinguish God's will from Satan's deception. In such moments it is easy for godly people to confuse loyalty to God with a need for personal assurance. Thus the godly person thinks he/she demonstrates trust in God when he/she actually demonstrates doubt by seeking God's assurance. Genuine confidence in God does not need for God to act "in the moment" to sustain the person's confidence.
Nothing requires discernment more than distinguishing between God's will and Satan's deceptions. Quickly this difficulty should make us appreciate God's grace deeply. Our discernment will not surpass our understanding of God's purposes.
This is a difficult concept of faith for most American Christians. Too often American Christians create an umbilical cord coupling "everything going/being okay" directly to faith in God and His son. The American social environment, prosperity, and scientific advances cultivate an American concept that "everything is going to be okay." Peoples who inhabit small countries, poor countries, unjust societies, or population areas exploited by those in control rarely expect things "to be okay" or "to go okay." They do not develop faith in Christ to make "everything okay." They are Christians to find a strength in Christ to endure when "everything is not [physically] okay." To them, no umbilical cord exists between faith in Christ and physical realities becoming okay. Many of them accept "everything will not be okay" in society in their generation--life expectancy will not be increased, sickness will be reality, infant mortality rates will remain high, education will be "out of reach" for many people, and most will exist in a survival mode economically. Such realties will affect congregations in those societies. Such realties will impact what Christians can and cannot do, can and cannot support.
American Christians find the challenges of discernment especially difficult. We too often confuse God's purposes with the American dream. Too often our hopes are tied more to physical expectations than to the existence of God's rule. Often in scripture the pursuit of God's rule did not make everything "okay" from a physical perspective. At times giving God's purposes priority made situations physically worse. Faith is not a God-given insurance policy that guarantees things will be okay in this physical domain. Faith assures us that this physical domain is not the ultimate experience nor the end experience.
The scene of this temptation reeked of holiness. It occurred in God's city--Jerusalem. It occurred near the holiest geography the Jews knew--the temple mount, Mount Zion. It occurred near the holiest building in Judaism--the Jewish temple. In this profoundly holy setting, Satan quoted scripture: "For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11, 12). The psalm focuses on trusting God. Implication: "If God gave you this special mission, and you accept this mission as yours, demonstrate your trust in God. Jump! God promised no harm would come to you! Declare your trust!"
Satan used a holy environment to create a appealing struggle for Jesus. Had Jesus not known the Father's priorities and values, he easily could have substituted doubt for trust in a conviction that expressing doubt was expressing faith.
Trust is a fascinating concept! Often humans want to demonstrate trust by an action that shows trust's existence. Definitely there are times to verify trust through action. However, there are times when trust is verified by taking no action. This creates a spiritual crisis: discerning when trust calls for action, and when action expresses doubt. Trust calling for action primarily occurs when one acts to express faith in God. Action declaring doubt primarily occurs when the act demands God's action. In such situations, God's act justifies the person placing trust or faith in God. Thus the person's call for God to act is primarily about personal reassurance. The person acts because he/she demands a response from God that will confirm and reassure that person.
Humans, particularly Americans, like "to do something." When we "do something" we create the illusion that we are in control! Sometimes we find it more difficult to trust by doing nothing than to trust by doing something. Faith requires both expressions of trust--but each at the appropriate time!
The person who trusts God does not seek reassurance from God. If one trusts God to keep His promises, he/she does not need to witness a demonstration from God. Through trust he/she knows God will do as He promised. To call upon God to act to demonstrate His trustworthiness is to express doubt. To the believer, God has nothing to prove. Therein lies the discernment between putting God on trial and living by confidence in God.
Having faith that trusts God in the understanding that God has nothing to prove is demanding and difficult.
Satan said to Jesus, "Jump! Demonstrate your confidence in God! Prove your trust in God to care for you!"
Jumping might be difficult at the moment of the leap, but not jumping would be more difficult for a longer period.
Jesus, in confidence in his identify and God's promise, replied, "I know God cares for me! Jumping would demonstrate my doubt by testing God!"
"The essence of trust was understanding God had nothing to prove. Jesus did not complain, "God, why did You put me in this situation." Nor did Jesus suggest, "If You were taking care of me, I would never be in this circumstance!"
Please note Satan extended this temptation in an environment that declared holiness. Satan asked Jesus to behave in an unholy manner in an environment saturated with the signs of holiness. The environment did not deceive Jesus. He properly discerned the situation.
Satan often deceives us by placing us in an environment in which we think evil could not possibly exist or express itself. We become so focused on the environment that we fail to exercise discernment.
In response to this temptation, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 that referred to an incident in Exodus 17:1-7. Israel's thirst declared their doubt. In their doubt created by thirst, they questioned God's presence. Instead of trusting the God who released them from Egypt and sustained them in the wilderness, they grumbled and questioned God's presence. If God cared for them, they would not experience the need of that moment.
Jesus understood that Israel was questioning God's presence and God's care in their moment of need. Jesus understood that his greatest need was to place confidence in God without demanding that God act in his behalf.
Jesus saw in that incident a relevant application to his situation. To ask God to act by creating the situation caused by his jumping was testing God, not declaring confidence in God. He did not need to test God to prove God's caring.
Jesus understood the parallel between Israel's circumstance and his situation.
If Christians are not careful, their suffering can demand God act to alleviate their pain. They seek escape, not strength to endure. When suffering causes struggle, it is demanding to distinguish between making trial of God and trusting God. In the face of struggle, it is easier to doubt God than to be sustained by God.
Suffering often blinds us to our responsibility to exercise discernment. The fact that we are experiencing pain is not evidence that God does not care for us. What a disaster if Jesus viewed the experience of the cross as evidence that God did not care about him!
Thought and Discussion Question
The discussion should include the understanding that pain often obscures God's purposes. In discerning good from evil, it is a terrible mistake to conclude that good is never associated with a pain experience and that evil never produces pleasure.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 11