Dead Set on God's Mission. Sunday sermon at Cason UMC, 2/22/26.

There is an old movie from 1943 called “Guadalcanal Dairy.” It was just a year after the actual battle for Guadalcanal in the South Pacific, and it was part of Hollywood’s effort to portray us as capable of winning the war if everyone played their part. I remember one scene where three soldiers in a foxhole were running out of ammunition, so one of them went back to get more. He picks up the ammunition boxes, then notices something boiling on the fire. “Is that coffee, Mac?” he asked. “Sure, sit down and have a cup.” He took a coffee break and then went back to the foxhole. While he was gone Japanese soldiers had overrun the foxhole and his comrades had been killed. He went crazy, charged the enemy, and was shot dead in the effort. That has stuck with me for over 60 years.

Seems far removed from today’s readings, although Adam and Eve were in the jungle. The enemy there was the serpent who was likely the Devil in disguise. Also scheduled in today’s readings is this familiar story.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, for God knows that if you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves (Genesis 3:1-7).

Somebody was straying from their God-given mission. Where was Adam, the man? The text says, “her husband…was with her,” so he has no excuse, although he made one up when God confronted him. He said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate,” … and men have been passing the buck ever since.

What is the sin here? Is the sin to want to be like God. Actually, if they had been paying attention earlier, they would already know that they have been made in the image of God. The Devil claimed that their “eyes would be opened” and they “would know good and evil.” These claims are also not outside of the goals that God had in mind for the people. God wants us to embrace good and shun evil.

Then, what is the problem? God created us to live in relationship with him. God did not create us, then pat us on the head as we walked away to find our own future. The sin was rejecting the purpose and mission of God for our lives.

Adam and Eve, and their progeny, were created for close fellowship with God. God would help them know good and evil by being there every day, all day long, day after day. Adam and Eve tried to circumvent this relationship by not waiting on God, by refusing to depend on God’s gracious guidance. God has a mission, but God’s people lost their way.  

The reason that our Revised Common Lectionary schedules this reading about the Fall in the Garden along with Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness is because there is a lesson here for us to learn. What is it? Wait on God, depend on God, and stay on the mission. Be dead set about our part in the mission of God.  

How did Jesus do it? Let’s read the whole passage from Matthew, one temptation at a time.

The first temptation.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward 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.’ ” (Matthew 4:1-4).

What is similar in the stories? Well, it is not a garden, but it is a wilderness, a secluded place. Were Adam and Eve hungry for that fruit? Apparently, they had been eyeing it; then the Devil put that ‘if’ out there. ‘If you eat it, it’ll be good’.

Compare the two: Jesus was legitimately hungry, ‘famished’ the text says. Does God intend for Jesus to have bread? Yes, he does. There are plenty of cases where God provided food for the prophets. Moses received manna, day after day after day. Elijah was fed loaves by a widow, day after day (I Kings 17: 8-16). Elisha set 20 loaves of bread in front of 100 people and when they were done, there was some left over (II Kings 4:42-44). So, there is plenty of precedent for God miraculously expanding the supply of bread. Down the line, Jesus will feed 5000 men as well as assorted women and children by amplifying five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14: 16-21)?

So, what is the sin? The sin is to try to take an easier route to the place that God has in mind. ‘If you have power’, the Devil says, ‘then why not satisfy yourself since that is what God wants anyway’. Satisfy yourself; that’s the way of the rulers of this world, isn’t it?

Jesus knows that the bread is not the end game of the mission. Jesus does not take shortcuts that better serve his needs, does he? We know whose needs are the point of Jesus’ mission.

The second temptation.

“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’.”  (Matthew 4:5-7).

‘Ahh’, so you want to use the Word of God,” the Devil says to himself. “Two can play at this Word Game.”  The Devil knows about Scripture, at least the Old Testament.

Did the Devil quote Scripture accurately? Yes, this is a reasonable quote from Psalm 91 verses 11 and 12. Then why doesn’t Jesus see it that way?

That is a complex question, and I am going to go through it fast, so hang on.

Number 1: Scripture is about stories; single verses do not carry the whole message. Get over it. Read the whole story.  

Number 2: There are some universal promises and commands in the Bible, However, most promises and commands were made to specific people during specific times. Don’t miss the context.   

Number 3: There are different types of literature in the Bible. Most likely to include commands are the books we call ‘the Law’. Most likely to carry warnings are the books we call ‘the Prophets’. Most likely to be more metaphorical and not literal are ‘the Writings’. That is, sections of poetry like the Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. These usually do not include direct commands and promises, but rather they are truth in poetic form.

Poetic literature; things like, “My love is like a red red rose.” ‘Oh’, the literalist says, ‘You mean she has a red rash on her face’? “No!” ‘Ahh, then you mean that she looks nice but when you reach out to touch her you get thorns in your hand?’ “No.” “Oh, then you mean that she is attractive now, but in a couple of days she’ll wrinkle up and fade away?’ “Never mind. Just forget it.”

Jesus knows that these verses are a poetic way of saying that God cares for you. No matter what happens today, God will take care of you in the end.

So, Jesus refuses to force God’s hand. What’s the issue? Ask yourself, what is the place of suffering in Jesus’ assigned mission? In this mission, will God protect Jesus from suffering? You know the answer to that.

Finally, the third temptation.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then 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. (Matthew 4:8-11).

Once again, the sin is not the goal, but what route Jesus takes to get there. Let me ask you a question: Is there a time coming when God will exalt Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? (Wait for answer). So, once again the sly old fox is offering Jesus something that God intends for him to have anyway.

Then what is the sin in the temptation? The temptation is to take another path to accomplish the end goal. The sin would be for Jesus to say: I’ll do it my way. Sorry Frank Sinatra, but the claim that “I did it my way” is not something to be proud of. The sin here is to try to take a shortcut around God’s prophetic path.

A shortcut around what? God’s mission includes a goal, a strategy, and proper tactics.  The goal is redemption for sinners who are penitent. The strategic path is for Jesus to suffer and then to sacrifice himself for the sins of many. The tactics are to humbly obey God’s commands every day, all day long, day after day. Vision, commitment, obedience.

How did Jesus keep his focus on the Father? We are told that Jesus emptied himself of his own status and his privileges. Instead of grasping power to choose his own path, a path that might avoid suffering, Jesus submitted to the Father. Didn’t Jesus say: “Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done”?

Jesus was dead set on God’s mission, determined to reach his destination in Jerusalem and his appointment with the cross. Every temptation of the Devil was an attempt to fool Jesus into thinking that the Devil had a better way. Jesus was tempted to grab power for himself, tempted to protect himself, and tempted to satisfy himself. Instead, Jesus was humble, patient, and obedient to the Father. Jesus chose to wait until everything was done right, then, in the end, God himself gives the nations to Jesus.

We’re out of time. Remember the World War II soldier at Guadalcanal who took his eye off his mission and satisfied himself, but it was a choice that ended up sacrificing his comrades. Jesus took the path that God had laid out to suffer and to sacrifice himself and thereby save others.

As followers of Jesus travelling through this world, there are two obvious choices for us Christians; two roads that diverge into the woods. God has some really good things in mind for us, but they come along the less-travelled path of obedience. We can try to gain power, prosperity, and self-satisfaction for ourselves through other means. However, all of the Devil’s temptations turned out to be scams, and they still are.

The better choice for us is to follow God’s way every day. That will involve loving others and sacrificing ourselves. That choice does not involve loving ourselves and sacrificing others; and it certainly does not include following leaders who serve themselves and sacrifice others.

Think about how you have positioned yourself in this world. Are you dead set on God’s mission, or do you prefer the way of grabbing power, chasing prosperity, and sacrificing others come what may? Are you tempted?