The Lost Temptation of Christ

Knowing that Lent begins with the story of Jesus' temptation, recently I watched the video of The Last Temptation of Christ by film director Martin Scorcese. The film was released in 1988 amid a storm of controversy. It was based upon the 1955 novel written Nikos Kazantzakis, a Greek Orthodox writer, who wanted to create a fictional portrayal of the Christ's struggle between his dual nature as Human One and Child of God. (1) A holy war of conflicting opinions broke out around the film's debut. Many Christians were disturbed by the film's all-too-human Jesus, who struggles with doubts about his calling. Particularly disturbing was the last temptation of Jesus.

The last temptation of Kazantzakis' Jesus is more the temptation of a desert monk than the temptations of the Jesus of the Gospels. Director Martin Scorsese wanted to create a Jesus "who, in a sense, is just like any other guy on the street," who faces struggles in life. (2) In his film interpretation of Kazantzakis' novel the last temptation is presented to Jesus while he is hanging bloody on the cross. The devil, disguised as a young angel, takes Jesus down from the cross and tells him that he doesn't have to endure the cross to be the Son of God. Jesus is allowed to marry, have intimate relations with a woman, raise children, build a home, grow old, and die a natural death. Jesus is tempted to escape his fate on the cross.

The Jesus of the Gospels faced tempting options to the way of the cross, but they weren't the monkish temptations of women, family, and home. The story of Jesus' temptations may have more to do with the issues related to what drove Scorsese from the church than the mundane temptations of living life like every other Tom, Dick, and Mary. You see, Scorcese left the church when he heard a priest justifying the Vietnam War as a holy cause. From the view espoused by Scorsese's priest and echoed by many Christians, it appears that the one of the temptations of Jesus has been lost.

To see if we can find this lost temptation, come with me to the Judean wilderness. The landscape is bleak and barren. Jesus is tempted for forty days and nights, like Israel was tested in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus is famished from fasting. He's so hungry he could almost eat those flat stones lying over there that look like loaves of bread. Can you hear the sound of the desert wind moaning through the canyon? The hiss of the breeze sounds like voices. The desert was believed to be the haunt of demons. Could that whispering wind be the voice of the Devil?

"Since you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." This temptation plays on Jesus' desire to quiet his own growling belly. But, it is far more than a temptation to satisfy personal hunger. As we shall see, the temptations of Jesus all focus on some abuse of power, particularly with the real temptation to abuse power for good. Each of the temptations presents tantalizing options to how Jesus would fulfill his messianic mission.

This first temptation is really economic in its intent. (3) Jesus feels the hunger pangs not only in his own stomach, but also the pangs in the stomachs of the hungry peasants scattered across the Palestinian landscape. Surely Jesus could envision in his mind images of that day when the Messiah would come and fill the hungry with good things. Listen to the voice that whispers hot in Jesus' ear. Maybe it sounded like this: "Since you are the Chosen One of God, God's Son, use your power to feed the hungry masses of people, like God showered manna on Israel in the wilderness. Isn't that a good thing? They will exalt you as their King (Psalm 2:7). Then, they will follow you anywhere and do anything for you. They will even follow you as their king into battle." This was no idle temptation for Jesus. Once after Jesus fed the multitudes, the people actually tried to force him to be their messianic king (John 6:15), which they hoped would liberate them from Caesar's domination. But, Jesus resisted the temptation to be that kind of royal messiah.

Let's listen to the devil's final temptation, and then we'll return to the temptation at the heart of all three. In the last temptation the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places him on the pinnacle of the temple. "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. God will bear you up. You won't even strike your foot on one of those stones down there." This temptation is not merely about Jesus testing God to see if God will protect him if he hurls himself to his death. Again, Jesus would have known about the promise that the coming Messiah would suddenly appear in the temple. This temptation may have sounded something like this: "Since you are God's Chosen One, God's messiah, jump off this pinnacle and miraculously, with God's helping hand, float down into the crowd of people. They will exalt you as their wonder-working Messiah. Then, they will follow you anywhere and do anything for you. They will even follow you in a revolt against their Roman oppressors. Wouldn't you like to see your people liberated, Jesus?" The temptation to abuse his power would continue to haunt Jesus throughout his ministry. But, with power from God, he resisted the temptation.

The temptation at the center of the three cuts to the heart of the all of the devil's temptations like a revolutionary's dagger. The devil takes Jesus up and shows him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world----Jerusalem, Samaria, Rome, Athens, Alexandria, Carthage, Caesarea. All the kingdoms are spread out like hors d'oeuvres on a silver platter, ready to take. The wicked wind whispers, "To you, Jesus, I will give their glory and authority; for their power and authority is held in my hand. All you have to do is worship me, and all this will be yours." This temptation is more than a Faustian bargain to give Jesus the rule of the world, if only he will become a worshipper of Satan. There's another coiled snake behind this tempting option to Jesus' mission ready to strike with dagger fangs.

In real life this temptation wouldn't have come to Jesus on a silver platter. The devil couldn't magically hand over to Jesus the crowns of all the kingdoms. This temptation presents Jesus with a real option for gaining the rule of the kingdoms of this world that existed in his day and even today. One must first answer several questions to understand the nature of this temptation. Wasn't there a popular perception that the coming Messiah would be a military leader, who would liberate the people? How in the world would such a Messiah gain the power and authority of the kingdoms of this world? In the historical context of Jesus, what were the options for correcting the injustices that kept the people hungry for bread and God's coming reign? How could this Messiah bring liberation from bondage to Rome? What would be necessary for taking control of the earthly governments and bringing in God's rule? And more specifically, what would be the obvious means for breaking the yoke of Roman oppression? Power through the use of violence. This temptation of Jesus has to do with the use of violent power to fulfill his messianic mission. One prominent New Testament scholar Oscar Cullman has said that this was a temptation to use violent resistance to establish a world theocracy. (4)

But, was this really a temptation for Jesus? Was gaining power through violent revolution a real option for his mission as God's deliverer? Was this a possible means by which Jesus could establish God's kingdom? Can you understand how the use of the power of violence is an understandable and attractive option for liberating people living in oppressive situations? It was a real option around 163 BCE. The Jews lived under the tyranny of the madman Antiochus Epiphanes. They watched as he sacrificed a pig upon the temple's altar, desecrating their most holy place. They saw him plunder their temple treasury to finance his wars. What were they to do in the presence of his violence and unspeakable horrors upon the Jewish people? Judas Maccabaeus, a faithful Jew who was looking out for the welfare of his people and seeking God's rule, organized an armed rebellion against the Syrians. The temple ran with blood. Could anyone blame Maccabaeus for taking this route?

During Jesus' lifetime their were many social bandits, revolutionaries, royal pretenders, and messianic movements that used or condoned violence as a means of seeking the social and economic equity of their people and who, in Jesus words, sought to "bring in the kingdom by force." (5) Many of these bandits and rebels were caught and crucified. There were two on each side of Jesus on Golgotha. The Zealots and Sicarii, patriotic bands of revolutionaries who sought to overthrow Roman rule in Palestine and in hopes of initiating God's rule, emerged as a distinct group around the time of the great revolt of 66-70 CE, though small, unorganized bands of revolutionaries existed earlier. (6) They loved God, the people, the land with fierce intensity. They believed the land was God's and taxes were idolatry. At any moment a zealot would spring from their desert hideouts and in the name of God and country, and without remorse, slash the throat of a Roman, their collaborators, or Jewish tax-collectors. War and violence was a holy act, when done for God and country. Violence was their means to a good end. They had the welfare and liberation of their people and the reign of God on their hearts. Could you blame them for wanting that? Violence is a tempting option.

Can you understand how violence was a tempting option for some young Mennonite men in Russia? They had watched their own people murdered, their women raped, and their settlements plundered. So, they organized the Selbschutz (self-defense) and performed armed resistance during the winter of 1918, even though their violence was condemned by the church. After all they had seen and experienced, you can sympathize with them, can't you? They were only seeking the welfare of their own people and God's peace. In that kind of situation violence seems justified, or at least understandable, doesn't it?

In our world, where you can get shot at school or walking down the street, we can understand why youth take up arms. In a world where the threat of nuclear and bio-chemical weapons from terrorism hangs over our heads like a guillotine, it's understandable how even Christians are tempted to support the use of violent power as an option for doing good and seeking the welfare of our people and seeking God's peaceful reign. Then, you can understand how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. He could have taken that option when he fed the people bread and they wanted to make him king. He could have taken the option of violent power and force, when he performed miracles and the crowds followed him. He could have used his entry into Jerusalem on a peaceful donkey to rise up and lead the people in revolt. This was clearly a possible path he could have taken to fulfill his role as messiah. It was far more appealing road than the one leading to the cross.

Come with me to the garden of Gethsemane. Maybe we can find the lost temptation there. Jesus is in the midst of a spiritual battle within his soul. It seems like he is struggling against the forces of evil. There's Jesus praying, struggling in agony. Was this the Devil's "opportune time" to tempt Jesus again (Luke 4:13)? Throughout his ministry he taught the way of healing, reconciliation, and peace. He taught his disciples not to return evil for evil, but to love their enemies (Matt. 5:44). He rebuked James and John who wanted him to call fire down from heaven and destroy their supposed enemies (Luke 9:51-56). Now, he faces death; the end of his life and ministry. See him sweat drops like blood. Hear him deeply struggling with the dead end of the road he has taken. He prays in agony, "Let this cup pass from me." What is the bitter cup that Jesus would rather not drink? What is the tempting option he still faces even as the soldier's make their way to the garden? It is Passover, a time when the people celebrate their liberation from bondage. This time had often stirred civil unrest and protests among the people, along with hopes of God's deliverance from bondage to Rome (After one Passover revolt 20,000 Jews were killed). At this time Jerusalem overflowed with a vast army of people. Jesus could take advantage of this time to rally his people. As he prays, can Jesus hear the echo of Peter's words about not having to go the way of the cross? Could he trust in God alone facing the cross? As Jesus hears the clanking of Roman armor and smell the burning torches, is he asking himself, "The cross or the sword?" The last option is tempting.

The soldiers arrive in the garden. A bitter kiss stings the cheek of Jesus. Peter is rudely awakened from his sleep. Swords gleam silver in the moonlight. Peter looks at Jesus. He knows the path Jesus has chosen. He grabs his sword. The blade slashes the night air and hits human flesh. Blood spurts out onto the garden soil. Jesus understands Peter. For Jesus has also been tempted to take the route of violent power. Peter wants to protect his own, his Master. But, even in his final hour Jesus overcomes the temptation. I imagine him turning to Peter and to you and me and to our nation and to the whole world and saying, "Enough of this! (Luke 22:51) If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight (John 18:36). Put away the sword. Could I not have called upon twelve legions of angels with their flaming swords to defend me? But, this is not the way God intends me to fulfill my messianic mission. Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword (Matt. 26:52-53). Get thee behind me, Satan! You shall trust God only and God alone shall you serve!" As the disciples flee into the night, Jesus is led away to the cross.

The cross was at the end of the path that Jesus had chosen. It was a result of his messianic mission, the outcome of serving God alone. As tempting as the option of using violent power to fulfill his mission, he overcame the temptation to rally his people with bread and miracles to violently revolt against their enemies. As tempting as it was, he overcame the option of taking up the sword to fulfill the popular idea of the messiah's role. Instead, as God's Chosen and Messiah, he took up the plight of the poor, the outcast, the oppressed, possessed, and dispossessed. He took up the towel and basin and washed his disciples feet. He took up the cross, the way of non-violent love, and fulfilled God's mission, even unto death.

But, remember this. Jesus didn't respond to evil with passivity, but instead he battled with the powers of evil non-violently, instigated a social revolution in ways of justice and peace, and was crucified a rebel against the Roman order. He just didn't succumb to using violent power to fulfill God's mission. Instead, he offered us a living and dying example of the way of trust in God alone, love, and forgiveness---the weapons of his warfare.

On the cross Jesus forgives his enemies. Above his head is his political crime, "King of the Jews." With his last breath we hear Jesus say, "It is accomplished." To the very end Jesus trusted in God alone overcame the temptation to take another route in fulfilling God's mission. And God raised him up. And in raising up Christ, God lifts up his life and death as the way for all of us to live---with sole trust in God's power and grace. The temptation to use power in violent ways to fulfill God's purposes, even when it is understandable and rational, even when it is for good ends, can be overcome. Trust and serve God alone.

In our desert world lost amid its many temptations to trust in our own power, to serve our own political and personal self-interests, to return evil for evil, and to use the force of violence, even for good and godly ends, we need to hear the prayer that Nikos Kazantzakis has Jesus pray in the desert facing the Tempter and the path his mission will finally take him:

Lord, I am a grain of sand; can you see me in this desert?
I am a grain of sand which talks and breathes and loves you.
I possess no weapon but love, with that I have come to do battle .(7)