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Synopsis
This sermon explores the spiritual metaphor of the mountain, valley, and desert, connecting Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness with human survival, safety, and spiritual focus. It examines how Satan’s tactics align with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, emphasizing the importance of timing and divine guidance in responding to temptation. The message invites reflection on recognizing the value of God’s presence and trusting in God’s timing for all blessings.
Transcript
In case you haven’t noticed, today is the first Sunday in Lent. And so it is a new thing. It’s a new season. It’s a different thing. Different colors, different vibe for sure than ordinary time, than Epiphany.
And yet I’m going to continue a theme that I started two Sundays ago. That is the mountaintop, the valley, and the mountain and everything in between. It has been a theme and has been sort of a picture and a metaphor that we’ve used for the spiritual life and for God’s message in Scripture. It seems like every Sunday I’m presented with readings that push that image to the forefront even more than the Sunday before.
What we have here is Jesus being tempted by Satan, right? He’s tempted in the desert. He hasn’t eaten anything for forty days. So there’s a smaller lesson here: if you’re having a rough time, maybe eat something. Maybe if you’re snapping at the people around you, you might be hangry—eat a little something first and then see how it goes. Satan knows this reality about the human body, which is something that Jesus has. If you’re going to attack your enemy, you’re going to attack him where he’s the weakest. And if he hasn’t eaten in forty days, that’s your moment—that’s when he chooses to pounce.
But in this case, Jesus knows exactly what he’s getting into. This fasting time—these forty days—is why we read this at the beginning of Lent. Spiritually, it is a fast. Some of us choose to exercise that more literally than others and do fast in one way or another during these forty days. But this is what it’s rooted in: a time of spiritual focus. Although Jesus was very hungry—it says right there he was famished—he was physically hungry, but he was very spiritually focused.
Jesus knows exactly what he’s doing, but the devil knows exactly what he’s doing, too. The devil is not stupid; he knows what humanity is about. He understands some things that maybe it took us until the nineteenth century or so—and some German philosophers—to put into words and pictures. I actually preached about this three years ago when we read this passage: Maslow’s hierarchy. Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Maslow’s hierarchy. It’s a pyramid shaped like a mountain.
That pyramid feeds into this mountain metaphor. Many of you are aware that the base of that mountain—the base of that pyramid—is our survival needs: really basic stuff—air, water, shelter, basic survival, food. Maslow argues that when those needs are met, when we are surviving and not worried every day about whether we’re going to live or die, we can start thinking about the next level: safety and security. Are we going to be attacked by a neighboring tribe? Is our campfire going to burn us to death? Are we safe? First is survival. Second is safety.
If we’re not worried every day about survival or safety, then we can start thinking about social needs, like status. What is my role within this tribe, within this family? Am I respected? Am I listened to? For ease of memory, you hear my little SSS: survival, safety, status. It goes higher than that to self-actualization, but we won’t go that far today. We’ll stick with these three.
Notice how Satan knows this hierarchy. What’s the first thing he does? What does he offer Jesus? Pancakes. Close enough. That was last Sunday, Pancake Sunday. He offers him food because if Jesus continues not eating past these forty days, his body will die. Maybe you’re worried about survival right now; he offers food, hoping to win the exchange. But Jesus doesn’t take it. Instead, he shows his spiritual focus: “I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m thinking about the words of God spoken to me. That’s my priority.” The devil says, “Fair enough. I didn’t think you’d fall for that. I have a plan B.”
If survival doesn’t work, Satan goes to safety—risk management, trip hazards—all the things we think about once survival is secure. He takes Jesus up to the top of the temple. The physicality of the scene matches the hierarchy in the pyramid. First, plan A on the ground doesn’t work, so he goes higher: “Jump. If you are who you say you are, you’ll be saved. If you’re the Son of God, you’re always safe.” Jesus replies, “I’m not here to be safe. Safety is not my purpose. I’m not looking out for myself.” Again, the gospel reinforces that Jesus’ priority is every word that comes from the mouth of God, not his own survival or safety.
The devil moves to plan C, taking him to a high mountain. From there, Jesus sees all kingdoms, cities, and territories. Satan talks as if he owns it. Is he lying, or telling the truth? We can’t answer definitively, but Genesis shows that humankind originally had dominion over creation. Through disobedience, dominion was lost. At least in part, Satan “won” dominion over the kingdoms in that moment of mistrust.
The devil waits until he needs it to make the offer. He shows he understands Jesus’ value. Nothing in all of creation is worth more than what’s standing in front of him on that mountain. Do we recognize that value in worship, the Eucharist, or in a person asking for help? Satan does, and so should we. This offer fails because Jesus knows his worth, too, and he rejects it.
Interestingly, Satan doesn’t offer Jesus anything undeserved. Bread is coming to him; it is good. Safety is good; carefulness is good. The kingdoms of the world may seem silly to us, but they align with Jesus’ destiny. Is Jesus being tempted with evil or just good things too soon? Timing matters—God understands timing better than we do.
The fruit in Eden—the knowledge of good and evil—illustrates a similar lesson. Knowledge itself is good, but taken too soon it can be harmful. Jesus echoes this in his ministry: “My time has not yet come.” Even at Cana, when his mother encourages him, he acknowledges divine timing. The greatest temptation we face may not be evil, but seeking good on our own schedule rather than trusting God’s timing.
This Lenten season asks us: do we see what even Satan recognized in Jesus? Are we trusting that God’s timing is perfect? All blessings come from God—not on our schedule, but in God’s time. Lent invites patience, spiritual focus, and preparation to give ourselves as an offering in return.
Amen.