If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Being a child of the ‘70s, I am, of course, a Star Wars fan. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard about Star Wars, and watching the movie for the fourteenth time the other day was like reliving my childhood all over again. Glorious! Of course, like all good Star Wars enthusiasts, I was appalled by the three “prequels”, and somewhat dreaded the last three movies in the sequence. My son, following along well in his father’s footsteps, became a Star Wars junkie as well. So, we saw the most recent three movies together. He was a fan; and, as much to be contrarian as anything, I complained about the movies. Specifically, “They are just like the originals! Same plotline! Same action!” And, Jason’s response? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Sure enough, the same formula worked great, so why change it?
So, millennia after our first parents, Adam and Eve, were tempted by Satan, it should come as no surprise that he uses the exact same tactics against us today. Why, I suppose, not because he lacks the creativity in his approach and evil; but, why bother to do it differently? If the same, good ol’ tried and true method works so very, very well, might as well keep it up!
2 Corinthians 2:11 encourages us “not to be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” But, that’s just it. I fear that we truly are ignorant of his schemes. Not, mind you, that we are ignorant of him and the fact that he is. That is a concern for some more “modern, educated” Christians who would doubt Satan’s very existence, but that is not my present worry. No, my primary concern here is that we are ignorant of the way temptation comes upon us, ignorant of the very means that brings such grief into our lives.
I suspect that, because temptation is so subtle; that because it strikes each of us so individually; that because we imagine that our temptations, if not unique, are nonetheless so very personal, I suspect that we think that the manner in which temptation comes is distinctive to each one of us. Because that which tempts me is not likely to attract you, because what lures you from the Lord is different than what entices me, we might think that there is no standard approach to Satan’s attack. And consider: sometimes temptation comes in a package that we know, we know, we should avoid—something where the lure to sin is so obvious and so clearly damaging to our walk with the Lord that we know we should stand strong in resistance. On the other hand, as we’ve been addressing the past couple of weeks, sometimes temptation is not so evil-looking at all; sometimes it is downright good—though still something that would reorient us away from our relationship with Christ. So, given the variety of temptations and the many different individuals who are tempted, can we really say there is a pattern to it all?
Well, a comparison of the two major temptation scenes, one which opens the Old Testament (Genesis 3) and the other that begins the New Testament (Matthew 4), shows an astonishing commonality in the way temptation functions. The serpent’s discussion with Eve is remarkably similar to Satan’s approach with Jesus. The Tempter’s goal in the garden is nearly identical with his goal with Jesus in the desert. The steps along the way, the manner in which he takes the conversation, the promise and hopes he holds out to both Eve and Jesus look so alike. It’s almost like Satan is using the exact same tricks… and why shouldn’t he? They work!
So, what is the process of temptation? Can we really talk about a certain pattern that temptation follows in our lives? And, if there is a common approach to entice us to sin, is there a common defense that we all might cleave to? This Sunday we’ll be asking these very questions—I hope you’ll join us!
Read Genesis 3:1-7 and Matthew 4:1-11.
1. What common elements are present in both situations? What is different in each?
2. Notice how Satan approaches both Eve and Jesus with questions.
What is distinctive about that? Where might that same approach be used with
you?
3. Obviously, Eve and Jesus respond to the Tempter
differently. Where do their experiences begin to differ so that they end up
with different responses?
4. What is the role of God’s Word in both temptations (Note:
for Eve it would not have been written Scripture, but God’s speech)?
5. Satan is known as the Tempter but also as the Deceiver.
Where do you see deception prominent in the two passages?
6. What does Satan offer to Jesus? How is that offer similar
to the one he makes to Eve? How might that give you insight into how you are
tempted?
7. Think of the temptations King David went through or Abraham desiring a child or Abraham traveling in Egypt with his wife or Joseph in Egypt or Achan in Jericho or… any of the other temptation scenarios we see in Scripture. What is similar with their experiences with temptation and what Eve and Jesus went through?
