Let’s try something new here.
This weekend I’m teaching/preaching/speaking at VC’s Allgroup (where all our house churches gather monthly for worship, learning, and connecting). We’re using the Lectionary texts and I will specifically focus on Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation narrative.
Well, instead of me carving out some space in the week to isolate myself and prepare the teaching, I thought I’d open it up to some dialogue and community formation. So whether you’re part of VC or not, please contribute by:
1) reading the texts and related materials for the week (see below)
2) leaving a comment here
3) sending me an email – aaron@vineyardcentral.com
If you are part of VC I strongly encourage you to at the minimum read the Scripture texts for the week ahead of time. This way we’ll all come more prepared to HEAR God and respond accordingly.
Lectionary Scripture texts for this weekend are:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11
Psalm 32
and are located here -
Lent 1, Year A
IVP Commentary on Matthew 4:1-11 here – God’s Son Passes the Test
The Text This Week: Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources on Matthew 4:1-11 here – Textweek.com
Here are my initial thoughts on the subject and the direction I am thinking about going….
What does it mean to be tempted? What is “temptation”? Do each of Jesus’ three temptations mean something unique and interdependent? How are we tempted… is it similar/different than Jesus? Why should we resist temptation – what’s the point?
Temptation by its very nature is “otherly” – it does not exist on its own. You can’t just be tempted or have temptation in and of itself. It is always in-relation-to something else. It seems to me that we have two choices (atleast); either we are tempted to do something other than what OUGHT to do (“oughts” determined by some kind of external moral code) OR we are tempted to something other than Someone (be that someone other than our spouse, a friend who we’ve made a promise to, or God). Likewise, it seems to me that Jesus’ temptations were of the latter – tempted to someone (Satan) over and against Someone else (God). Our temptations – though they take on a variety of flavors – all boil down to the same. We are tempted to serve, worship, honor, love, obey, follow someone else (ourselves, a person, Satan, etc…) over and against God. Our temptation is a relational problem in as much as it is a moral one (maybe more!).
What do you think Jesus’ three temptations mean? Are they unique individually?
What do we – living in contemporary, 21st C. America need to learn/apply from this text?
What is God saying here that is uniquely important to us?
Please contribute. This will be a far richer experience/learning if you do.
