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This Week's Sermon THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT 10 February 2008 "One Little Word Can Fell Him" Matthew 4:1-11 LSB Series A Vicar Heath A. Trampe Soli Deo Gloria!

Obedience is a virtue that has long been highly valued by our society. As children we are taught to mind our manners and to listen to what our teachers and parents tell us. As we get older, we are told to obey the speed limit, pay our taxes, and provide for our families. As Christians, we not only obey the laws of the land, but also God's law in the Ten Commandments. The harder we try to obey, the more we realize that we cannot achieve this on our own. If salvation were left for us to earn, we'd all be doomed to hell. However, we depend on Christ for our salvation, and nowhere is this clearer than in today's text. You see, although viciously attacked by Satan, Christ perseveres. The only way that Christians can have any confidence in their own salvation is to realize that

I. Christ did not falter in His battle with the Devil.
--Like Adam and Israel before us, we cannot stand up to the wiles of the Devil.
--Christ sets an example and shows us to always seek refuge in God's Word.
II. Christ offers us His obedience through the sacraments.
--We still cannot toe the line with Satan and win (On earth is not his equal).
--In Baptism we are unequivocally bound with Christ and take part in His unwavering strength and perfection. (One little Word can fell him).

Hollywood has warped our conceptions of Satan. If you watch enough movies, you'll see him depicted as a monster, complete with horns and fangs. Even the great artists of the Medieval times and the Renaissance have depicted Satan as a hideous beast. No doubt these are images conjured by the Revelation of St. John where he describes Satan as a beast and a dragon with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 11:3). However, for every reference to Satan as a monster, there are many more that describe him as a beautiful and tempting deceiver.

How would Satan turn anyone away from God if he were a monster? Wouldn't we simply flee to God for refuge? No, Satan is an angel. He is beautiful to behold. To those in this world, he appears to hold the very secrets of happiness and fulfillment. He dangles prestige, wealth, and popularity in front of us, tempting us to just step away from God and join him for some real fun. This was the tact he chose when tempting Christ.

The opening line from our text says "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil". The original Greek suggests that He was tempted throughout the forty days. The three attempts we hear about are probably the culmination of Satan's efforts to turn Christ from God. This is like our own experience. We think that Satan comes for us only when we are tempted to hurt a loved one or to break the law. Actually, he's a constant force in our lives, and his greatest tool is subtlety.

The first thing that Satan says to Christ in today's Gospel is "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread". Christ, who was a real human being, capable of feelings and emotions, was hungry after forty days of fasting; He would have been weakened and in need of nourishment. Satan uses this same temptation on us.

Most of us feel like we should make more money for the work we do, and we wonder why we aren't making as much as our coworkers and neighbors. We forget the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: "[God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). Satan allows doubt to creep into our minds so that we finally come to one of two wrong conclusions. The first is that we feel we should be doing more for God so that He'll do more for us, which is a complete contradiction and distrust of the grace of God. The other solution is to stop waiting for God's help and help ourselves, even if it means treachery and deceit. After all, if God isn't going to take care of me and my family, I better do it myself.

The next temptation that Satan brought to Christ was one of safety. "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, lest you strike your foot against a stone'". If Christ really wants to get Satan off of His back, all He'd have to do is call on the angels to help Him out. As God's children (Galatians 3:26), we expect Him to protect us. But then why does He allow bad things to happen to us? Just this week, we faced a storm that left great damage in its wake; a similar storm killed 50 people in the south. Why would God send such trouble upon us Christians if He wants to protect us? These thoughts lead us to despair of our faith and wonder what the benefits of Divine Service really are.

The third and final temptation that Satan presents to Christ in this text is one of prestige. Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and says "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me". What if we were to give up our faith in God for riches and pleasures in this life? Christ warns us to avoid storing up "treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). Although the pleasures of this life are fleeting, we often choose them over the things of God. Our choices and even our very natures have earned us hell and eternal punishment.

When Christians are baptized, much more is happening than a ritual or a celebration. According to Titus 3:5-6, God saved us "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy". In baptism, our obedience takes the back seat to Christ's own obedience. No longer do we face Satan and his lies on our own, but we cling firmly to the cross of Christ, who does not yield to the temptations of Satan.

When challenged by Satan to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hungry stomach, Jesus states "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God". Jesus knows that all of our daily wants and needs, including our daily bread, will be provided for us. When we gather together for the Divine Service, we confess that God's Word is greater to us than the mammon of this world. When we eat and drink Christ's body and blood and hear His Word preached from the pulpit, we are fed for eternity.

When challenged by Satan to throw Himself down so that the angels might come to His aid, Jesus states "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test". God could feed us with manna from heaven as He did for the Israelites, but He has equipped us with the tools and resources to provide for our families without such means. When we attempt to shirk our duties as father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, or worker, we are testing God by saying that He'll make everything work without our efforts. However, He has given us the talents and means necessary to achieve these things in His name.

When challenged by Satan to bow down and worship Him so that He might inherit all the wealth and power of the world, Jesus states "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, " 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve". Just as Satan promises Christ an earthly kingdom, he promises you a promotion at work or honor among your peers. But look at the cost. Christ would have had to abandon God and consider Satan to be His god. We would belong to Satan forever if Christ had not obeyed perfectly, even unto death on a cross. Christ, however, knowing the seductive power of Satan, shows us here how to perfectly defend against such a violet attack on our humanity, which lusts for acceptance and wealth on this earth.

In Martin Luther's famous hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God, he mentions that one little word subdues him, meaning Satan. Here Luther is speaking of the word liar, which is the only proper description of Satan. He is far too powerful for us to defend ourselves against, and so God has given us the miracles of Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper. These blessed Sacraments, along with the Word, constitute our defense against Satan and his treachery. Only when we see him as a liar and a deceiver can we keep from going astray. Satan won't come to you as a snarling beast. He's always beautiful, always full of half truths and empty promises that will lead to your ultimate destruction. However, the work that Christ started in the wilderness and completed three years later on the cross is Satan's ultimate defeat. We are brought into this reality and sheltered from his attacks at our own baptism. Our weakness is hidden behind the armor of God. The sword of Truth (Ephesians 6:17) is heavy, but Christ wields it for us, allowing us the treasures and pleasure of everlasting life. Luther masterfully explains this in the final stanzas of A Mighty Fortress is Our God.

Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us,
we tremble not, we fear no ill; they shall not overpower us.
This worlds' prince may still
scowl fierce as he will,
he can harm us none. He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.

The Word they still shall let remain, Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain, With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife.
Though these all be gone, Our victory has been won;
The kingdom ours remaineth. Amen.