Temptation Is Tempting

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

 

Hebrews 4:15

 

 

Once a Sunday school teacher tried to explain this verse to a class of kids, but the concept of a "high priest" was strange and not particularly interesting.  If he'd been comparing Jesus to a Ninja Turtle or Dora the Explorer, they might have perked up, but it still would have been a challenge to keep their short attention spans engaged for long.

 

"Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins," he said to the class "and He also came so that He'd know what it's like to live here on earth, so that He'd know what it's like to… to… eat cereal."

 

God left heaven so He could eat breakfast cereal with a bunch of sinners? 

 

Since He's God—the Creator and all—why didn't He just make His own cereal? 

 

The only conclusions the kids could come up with, were either God had a fetish for oatmeal, or their teacher was stranger than he looked.

 

"[He] was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." 

 

Temptation is tempting.

 

I know this may sound as deep as the bumper sticker on the back of a car, but when temptation comes knocking it's hard to say no.  When temptation hits, you may relate to Jesus, being offered all the kingdoms of the world, everything you want seems to be within your grasp, but then you realize who's offering you this proposition, and you'll be paying for it through the nose. 

 

Do the ends justify the means? 

 

The little man on your shoulder—in his cheesy devil costume—whispers something sly into your ear. You want it so badly, and the thought of letting it go forever seems so horrible and sometimes is painful, but you take a deep breath, and say no to your little pal in his devil costume. But despite this, you've gained something important—you've learned a little bit more about the beauty of compassion.

 

It's a wonderful thing that God not only understands the process of saying no to temptation, He also understands the pain and the heartache that is sometimes inevitable when you're forced to say no to something you truly want, but is not in His will or timing for you at that time.  The temptations and hardships Jesus encountered while on earth extended far beyond a bowl of warm oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and top off with nutty granola.

 

Jesus has been tempted, but He said no. Why? Because He knew that that was not the will of the Father for Him and He trusted that what He desired most would come about in the right timing—not through the temptation. Jesus doesn't just know of the difficulty of temptation, He knows from firsthand experience.