A way of Escape

Luke 4:14

We have all been tempted and with me it began at a very young age, how about you?  I was a thumb sucker, not the public kind, my thumb and me only did it in the privacy of our home or where no one but family would see.  Mother and dad were not into thumb suckers and they began to try different things that would break the relationship my thumb and I had, some of them would have had Child Protective Services (CPS) doing a home visit today.  So one of my first temptations was when mother ask from another room, “Bobby, do you have that thumb in your mouth, was I to lie and say no?  I soon learned it was easy to lie and keep the relationship with my thumb, that is until mother would ask “Bobby are you telling me the truth?”  It seemed she was like super man with the ability to look through walls.  I never felt good about this habit or temptation and especially after it had to go underground, you know like behind a tree in the back yard or under the covers of the bed I shared with my brother Freddie.

 

I must confess my thumb and I parted friendship later than desired by my mom and dad, but not the temptation and later, much later, I learned they are common to all humans.  What I did not know, and even now forget, is what the Scripture tells us about temptation: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)

 

Now as stated above we all have and will be tempted in some way or manner, for the enemy of our soul has seen many a human and has some clues as to what works and what does not.  But none of us have had the frontal attack Satan put on Jesus in that 40 days of temptation.  Jesus was hungry and had the ability as God to do something about it, but not as a man, no He would have to rely on His power as God, and Satan knew if Jesus did that He would not be an example of someone just like you and me that needed to run to the Father for all our needs.

 

I bet you have never been offered all the kingdoms of this world as Satan did to Jesus. I for one have sold out to the devil’s deception for a very small slice of the pie, but not Jesus.  And that is what makes Luke 4:14-15 so exciting, Jesus was hungry and tired and Satan hit him with all the things that had worked with most all humans and Jesus not only passed all tests, He returned in power.  Luke 4:14-15, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice