Respond with the title word / Luke 4:1-13
We looked at the reasons for not being able to attend Sundays between November and December of last year. Some members were not able to attend because they were ill, some members did not come to church because they overslept on Sundays because they worked late and were too tired. Some people were not able to keep the Sunday because they were embarrassed to go out again after a long absence. Some saints couldn't come to church because they were going to Seoraksan Mountain. There were some members who were not able to come to church because of material problems among the members.
The above reasons can become obstacles in the life of faith experienced by church members. Also, from a social point of view, people who are living in a really difficult life may not be able to live their faith properly because it is difficult for them to make a living. . It is said that a five-day week system will be implemented in the future, and there are concerns that how many people will neglect their faith life "to enjoy life".
Also, these days, the mass media can be said to be a threat to our faith. Interesting shows on TV. Children start with cartoons, teenagers are addicted to singers, men are passionate about sports, and ladies are engrossed in soap operas, threatening our very own faith.
Lectures on so-called religious pluralism, broadcast on television, are confusing our beliefs. Where is such self-righteousness that one must believe in Jesus to be saved? As one of the great teachers, I hear a lot about the need to acknowledge the salvation of other religions as well. It's a plausible story. It is an idea that is easy for those who have learned a lot. These circumstances threaten our faith.
The same is true of science these days. After cloning cows and sheep, they are now cloning humans. It is said that a human brain is nurtured in a mouse's head. It's like science these days is jumping back and forth like an unbridled pony.
In this world we live in, famous celebrities are religious, computers are religions, technological civilization and science are religions, television is religion, and life is a religion we enjoy. People who should listen to God's Word are being distracted by all the sounds of the world.
Jesus spoke of the elements that prevent people from hearing the word as a field of stones and thorns. Stone fields are painful. It is the bitterness of pain. Painful work becomes a stumbling block to faith. For example, they say that it is difficult to live a religious life because it is too difficult to make a living. A field of thorns is a test of sweetness. As I was enjoying the pleasures of the world and enjoying life, my ears to hear the word of God were closed.
The world will do anything to take away our faith. Just as we lose our direction when we close our eyes for a moment, if we do not keep awake in faith, we are left in a humble state.
Jesus was also tempted. He fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and was filled with the Holy Spirit, when an evil spirit tempted Jesus. It is not surprising that Jesus was tempted, but it is surprising that Jesus was tempted but overcame the temptation. As we live in the modern world, it is not surprising that we are tested in many ways. There is always going to be a test. I hope you will become a wise person who can overcome the test.
Jesus was subjected to three temptations, each of which had distinct characteristics.
The first temptation was to test hunger in the wilderness. It is a temptation to come to Jesus who is hungry because he ate nothing and turn stones into bread. The place was tested in the wilderness.
There are times when we too are subjected to these tests. Satan tempts us even when we experience the pain of having to worry about what to eat because life is so hard. Satan tempts us even when we suffer from severe physical ailments. Satan tests us even when things are not going well and we are trying to find a new breakthrough somewhere.
"It's hard to make a living these days, but what if I could make some money while selling alcohol?" "Things don't work out like that, so why not take a shaman and do a rite once?" "I'm in a hurry to make a living right now, so where would I have time to go to church and worship?" "When it's time to go to church, regular customers come to our restaurant, so why do we have to go to church and worship at that time?" You think that God will understand. It is like Esau was so hungry that he sold his precious birthright for a bowl of red bean soup.
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. In the difficult reality of life, we must keep in mind that there is always an element of testing because of the problem of bread. Jesus responded clearly by saying, "Man does not live by bread alone."
The test did not end in the wilderness. The devil led Jesus to a high place. A place where you can see the whole world. Do all the verses only once. All this was tested to give. Just as there are trials of the devil in the wilderness where it is difficult to live, there are also trials in high places. Just as there are trials for those who are anxious about what to eat, so there are trials for those who have many things and are in high positions.
When Saul became king, he sinned against God. He could not wait for the time for Samuel to come, and he even assumed the role of priest in Samuel's place. "I am the king" What can I not do? Even in high places, there is a test. Even in a leisurely life, there are tests. In some ways, it may be more difficult to pass the test because of a high position and a leisurely life than the test because of the problem of eating in the wilderness.
How can I enjoy life with a lot of money? Can't I startle the world with this amazing knowledge I've learned? Surprise the world by replicating humans through biotechnology. And let me be a hero once. Let's become a great person who is admired by many people.
Jesus was tempted even on high. Jesus responded by saying, ?쏻orship the Lord your God and serve him only.??
If the temptation you received in the wilderness is a test for our problems, the temptation you received after ascending to a high place is a test related to human honor. If the test in the wilderness is a lonely and painful test, the test faced on high is a splendid test to possess more.
And third, the devil put Jesus on top of the temple in Jerusalem and tempted him to jump down. The place where they were tested was the temple. Even in the temple, the devil is constantly testing our faith. They create sects for nothing and break people's hearts. They are sometimes tested through the words exchanged between the saints. Some of the saints are tested because of material problems.
Listen to the devil's temptation in the temple. The devil also tempted Jesus by quoting the Bible. "For it is written, God will command his angels for you to guard you. They will support you with their hands, so that your foot will not strike a stone." The devil tempted Jesus by quoting the Word of God in the temple.
When Mary breaks the alabaster, Judas Iscariot says to Jesus, "It would be nice if you gave it to the poor." It is a word in the bible. Judas Iscariot tests Mary against the background of the Bible. Challenge Jesus. Communism, citing the Bible, tormented many people, saying, "He who does not work, neither shall he eat."
The devil used the Bible to tempt Jesus in the temple. We must be very careful about this when we live our faith centered on the church. It teaches us that if we are not careful with one another, even the church can be tempted. When tempted in the temple, Jesus responded by saying, "Do not tempt the Lord your God."
In this way, the reality we live in is when we are in a low position or a high position, when we have to worry about the problem of living because of lack of food, when we live a splendid life with abundant food, whether we are in the world or in the church, or even fast for 40 days like Jesus. Even when we are filled with the Holy Spirit after we have finished, the devil continues to test us to take away our faith.
The question is not whether we are being tempted now, but how do we overcome when tempted? This is an important issue. When Jesus was tempted, He responded with the Word. Quoting the words of Deuteronomy, he responded with the words, "Man does not live by bread alone, but worship the Lord your God and serve him only, and do not put the Lord your God to the test."
In this way, the Word is the power of God to deliver us from the crisis of being tempted. When Joshua crossed the Jordan River and destroyed the city of Jericho, he must have been tempted with a weak heart. But with the promise that I will be with you, Joshua overcame the test.
Job suffered. I lost my property, my family, and my health was unspeakably painful. It was like a bitter test in the wilderness. People around me are tempted to curse God instead. But Job answered, "Nevertheless, I find comfort and rejoicing in my unending pain, because I have not disobeyed the word of the Holy One." See how he was going through such a terrible and painful test, but he overcame it to the end by not disobeying the word of God. Haven't you become the ultimate victor when you respond with the word of God?
After Jesus died on the cross, Peter was put to a great temptation. A loser in life, he came down to the Sea of Galilee and started fishing again. When we were in the midst of trials and tribulation, Jesus told us to cast our nets on the right hand. When he obeyed those words, eventually Peter was able to overcome the pain of temptation and tribulation. The Word is God's power to overcome temptation.
1 Peter 2:8 says, "They stumble because they disobey the word." If we do not obey the Word, we cannot bear the test. I just can't win
Jesus went up to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with his disciples. While Jesus was praying, the disciples fell into a deep sleep. When waking the disciple, he said, "Watch and pray so that you may not fall into temptation."
We must overcome the temptation of the devil. This test is everywhere. I hope that you will be nurtured by the Word and become those who overcome temptations. In particular, as we celebrate Lent, let's read God's Word more deeply. And I hope that you will realize the true truth and become the victor of faith who responds to the trials that come every moment with the word.