Sensational Entitlement

And [the devil] took [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

             “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and

             “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:9-12

            

The devil took Jesus to the Holy City, to the Holy Temple, to the highest position in the temple, and tempted Him with sensation. “Perform a marvelous feat! Show God’s power by putting it on display! Exploit the miraculous!” Think of the tickets you could sell!

            Once again, Jesus reply reveals the true motive of the devil’s test: to “prove” God.  If God is real, if you are the beloved, then He will be obligated to perform according to our interpretation and/or manipulation of His Word. Jesus’ response denied the devil’s attempt to exploit God’s power.

            When the expression of our faith becomes an avenue for the sensational. When our prayer life becomes demand instead worship. When we begin to believe that we are entitled to specify God’s performance according to our own interpretation of His Word, then we have lost sight of true faith. We do not test God, we trust God. We do not demand that the Almighty “back our play,” we humbly submit to His Will. We must beware of the danger of entitlement thinking, of believing that God is somehow obligated to respond the way we have decided or concocted. We must guard against the creeping idea that God serves us.

Let’s Do Something About It           

·      Ask the Holy Spirit to examine your motives and goals. Are you seeking sensational or humbleness in your faith?

·      Honestly consider, who is calling the shots in your faith life? Are you expecting God to respond to your agenda, plans, or expectations, or are you submitting to His agenda, plans, and will? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into an attitude of worship.

            

Counter Culture

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

            “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

            Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

            “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

            Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”             

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”  Luke 3:7-14

            John’s message was really quite contrary! Contrary to the religion of the time, contrary to the culture of the time, contrary to the work ethics of the time. His challenge to the people was to live contrary lives that countered the effects of their culture. He challenged their sense of “religious entitlement” – the idea that because they belonged to the “right religion” they were entitled to God’s favor.  He challenged their lifestyle of having more than they needed while others went without. He challenged their work ethics that exploited others because they weren’t content with what God was providing them.

            John’s message was simple – don’t put on a show of holiness, live your faith. John’s challenge was no less than to live contrary to culture. It’s the same challenge we have today. To follow the Way of Christ means to live counter-culturally.  It means living a life of caring about and for others and being content with what we have.

Let’s Do Something About It

Consider the four areas of John’s message: religious entitlement, lifestyle, integrity, and contentment. Prayerfully ask God to show you how you can take steps in your life to live counter-culturally in these four areas. Journal your insights as a reminder and an encouragement for you to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”