Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. 

Temptation. 

That single word can bring up many different thoughts and emotions. Temptation that dares us to choose. 

What would it be like to live in a world without temptation? 

A world where the devil has no power? 

Perhaps a world without temptation is not of this world but thy kingdom come. An eternal Kingdom promised by the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Luke’s gospel for this day is about temptation and what it means to be called the “Son of God”. 

I would like to share the lyrics from a song by the Charlie Daniels Band that illustrates how temptation is like an ongoing test that waits for an opportune time. 

The title of the Song, The Devil Went Down to Georgia. 

Well, the Devil went down to Georgia 

He was lookin' for a soul to steal 

He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind 

And he was willing to make a deal 

When he came across this young man 

Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot 

And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump 

And said "Boy, let me tell you what" 

"You probably didn't even know it, but I am a fiddle player too

And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll just make a bet with you Now you're playin' pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil his due I'll bet a fiddle o' gold against your soul, I think I'm better than you" The boy said, "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin But I'm gon' take your bet and you're gonna regret 

I'm the best there's ever been" 

Johnny, rosin' up your bow and play your fiddle hard 

'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold 

But if you lose, the Devil gets your soul 

The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show" And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow And then he pulled his bow across the strings and it made a evil hiss And then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this When the Devil finished, Johnny said 

"You know, you're pretty good ol' son 

But you just flop down in that chair right there 

I'm gon' show you how this stuff's done" 

Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run 

The Devil's in the house of the risin' sun 

The chicken in the bread-pan pickin' out dough 

Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no 

Well, that ol' Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat And he laid that golden fiddle down on the ground at Johnny's feet Johnny said, "Devil, come on back if you ever wanna try again I done told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best there's ever been" And he played 

Fire on the mountain, run, boys, run

The Devil's in the house of the risin' sun 

The chicken in the bread-pan pickin' out dough 

Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no 

While at first glance it seems as though the young boy would be guilty of pride and taking a challenge where we are taught “Do not put the Lord to the test.” Jesus, like our young fiddle player, if full of the Holy Spirit. 

A spirit that is born of pure love. 

How else could Jesus have been sustained from forty days in the wilderness, without food and temptation by the devil? 

Jesus abides with the devil, maybe to go so far as loving his enemy. 

Imagine how you might feel after forty days alone without food and a constant temptation to give in. 

Yet hunger, and fasting can create an edge and an awareness of a whole new spiritual power. 

Jesus is the one, the Son of God who can only do what God has commanded. Looking at the devil’s questions answers who Jesus is for us to follow. What would it have looked like if Jesus turned the stones into bread and ate. 

A miracle that the devil and Jesus are aware of but is answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ 

Jesus knows that and taught us that when we pray that it is God who gives us our daily bread. 

In our society we are blessed with an abundance of food, yet we still witness that there are people and children going to bed and living their daily life hungry.

Jesus doesn’t take the easy way out, but helps us to see how loving your neighbor is part of feeding those in need. 

Marie Anntonatte really did lose her head when she said, “Let them eat cake.” 

Jesus knows the hunger pangs of the hungry, willing to give up his portion to feed others. 

Humility to resist temptation, to love and honor God, is not easily done when people don’t share, especially the love of Jesus. 

The devil is persistent, taking another tact, as the devil is crafty working all the angles of emotion. 

After a glimpse of all the kingdoms of the world the devil said to Jesus, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I will give it to anyone I please.” 

I don’t know about you but I find that exchange chilling. 

Jesus isn’t swayed to dance to the devil’s music. 

That the devil may have access to what we think is our to have. The devil offers the reign of his kingdom, not the Kingdom of God. Jesus stands against worshipping the devil and answers. “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” 

Then like the sweet music from the heavenly choir, perhaps with a violin solo, we get a third attempt to turn away from divine protection. 

The devil just will not give up, and temptation remains. 

The devil knows the game, because the devil has fallen to earth to rule with insider information having once been part of the heavenly host.

Even the devil knows today’s Psalm quoted from Luke, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command the angels concerning you, to protect you, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” 

The devil is a master of darkness, trying to distort and refract God’s light. When we turn away from the light and stumble along our shadow blocks the light. Even when our best attempts to seek the truth are cloaked in lies and deception. 

Just as Jesus teaches us to get out of the way of our own best thoughts and be guided instead by him. 

One loaf of bread may be enough for Jesus to feed everyone, but we know it takes everyone sharing that we all are fed. 

The power of love rules equally, spread abundantly to all, not just to the haves. 

Divine protection has been given to us through Jesus’ solo performance of loving the other on the cross. 

The opportune time is now, to love Jesus, alive with us in bread and wine, in love with us until Thy Kingdom Come. AMEN