"The Scriptures: Treasure or Tool?"
Luke 4: 1-14 Psalm 119: 96-109
May 10, 2009
I ran into this sculpture in the Fine Arts Museum in
I can relate to this harried man with the big book. He steadies himself and looks for direction. In our day his cell phone might be "sexted." The computer might be filled with spam or pop-ups that appeal to his greed, lust, or desire to conquer. Many circumstances might urge us to take revenge or to find our safety in attacking others.
This man is literally between a rock and a hard place. He is in the wilderness with uninvited guests. That's what Jesus experienced in Luke 4. It's what you and I go through constantly.
Luke tells us Jesus was lead by the Spirit to spend forty days in the wilderness where he would be tempted by Satan. Yikes! Is that any way for a father to treat a son? The conclusion I make is that temptation is a part of normal Christian discipleship. It's part of the way we are forged and formed to become whole people.
The people of
Times of testing and formation can be long; but they do have an end. The man with the devil tugging his sleeve will know that if he keeps a hold on the Scriptures. Indeed, a life with the Bible is an essential bridge stone of Christian discipleship.
Look at the way the Bible is used in Luke 4.
The discussion between Jesus and the Devil is a classic power struggle. Who will give commands to the man that he will follow? It's the same question that was decided poorly in the Garden with the serpent, Adam, and Eve. The Devil caught Jesus in a weak moment, tempted Jesus to prove himself, and tried to tell him what to do.
"Turn these stones into bread." Jesus refused; quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, 'Man does not live on bread alone."
"Fall down and worship me." Jesus refused; quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 and 1 Samuel 7:3. "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."
Then it got nasty. The Devil, like a prosecuting attorney with a star witness quoted Psalm 91:10, 11! "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
"Throw yourself down!" "Prove yourself! Do something suicidal! I double dog dare you!" Jesus refused; quoting a principle found in Exodus 17:2 and in Psalm 78:18, 41, and 56. "Do not put your God to the test."
Thus a human being - the second Adam - won a battle with the Devil.
It's important not only to know what the Bible says but to know when and how to apply it.
Satan appealed to a literal reading of Psalm 91 when he dared Jesus to jump. Verses 10, 11 say exactly what the Devil said it did. What kept Jesus from jumping? Jesus knew that the Scriptures are not to be taken with mindless literalism.
The Bible is much more than a rule book. Many of its sections are not meant to be an "operator's manual" at all. The poetry of Psalms is meant to move us and shape us in our love and worship of God. It's not the marching order to jump off a tall building that the Devil tried to make it. We trust the Bible to be absolutely reliable in what it seeks to teach us. That's the way Jesus handled the holy writings.
There are passages in the Bible that are to be taken as authoritative commands; and that's what you see Jesus quoting. He stands on the authority of his Father's word without denying the value and validity of any other part of scripture - including the Psalm quoted by the Devil.
When we talk about the Bible being without error and reading it literally we are saying that the Bible does not error when it presents our need for salvation and God's provision through Jesus. When we use the word "literal," we mean reading the Bible according to the intention of the author. Poetry is poetry and history is history. Commands are commands and they are given in the context of the whole sweep of the history God unfolds from Genesis to Revelation. Epistles are letters that need to be understood in context -- as is apocalyptic literature.
Now this does not mean each and every one of you must be some sort of scholar for the Bible to feed you. But we do become more whole - more able to stand and live faithfully in the world - as we are well grounded in scripture.
Here's the main point: The Devil used the Bible as a tool for his own purposes. We must learn to see the Bible as the treasure that grounds our lives with God.
As that sculpture shows, the Bible is a big book! Please don't be overwhelmed by that. See it as a gateway to a vast an awesome universe that God wants you to explore. The only way it can be explored is to start reading - and to keep reading. Its message is never exhausted.
We can thrive only if we invest the time and effort to read frequently, prayerfully, and well.
Carve out personal time to read God's word. One of God's greatest miracles is that God wants to have a personal relationship with you! The Lord will honor a sincere prayer that we ask before our open Bible, "Lord what do you want me to see?" God will honor that desire, if we will take the time. It's better still if we take note of what we have written. This will not happen by going with the flow of routine. Make a time and a place to meet God through the Scriptures and keep the appointment!
Let your reading range widely. There are many good resources available to help you read through the Bible over a period of a year or so. The best ones will have you reading a mixed diet of poetry, Old Testament, and New Testament books, and the like. Make sure you taste of all the dishes on the table.
Get help! If you don't understand everything you read, pay attention to the things you do understand. Come back to what's unclear. If something is totally confusing, ask someone who might know the answer you need. Good commentaries are helpful but make sure you rely on the Bible's message to you and not someone else's opinion expert though it may be.
Classes and guided studies can give a rapid and effective way to understand God's word. These classes will help you discover new ways to read the Bible and help you understand the background of the books. When you understand that background it's easier to make connections to how it applies today.
The Bible must also be read with others. The Bible is literally meant to be heard. It's always good to listen to someone read a passage of scripture and then discuss what God is saying. We get new insights from one another. There are times when we're unaware of some information that may help us understand the Word in a new way. We can encourage each other and hold one another accountable for what we discover. Indeed our walk with the Bible should flow naturally into our experience of fellowship and worship.
Above all else think about how what you read in the Scriptures applies to the way we live. Take the Bible personally! Don't keep it at arm's length!
Walk with the Scriptures! Let them be a treasure! Don't use the Bible as a tool for your own ends and don't let someone else do that to you. Think as you read!
Let the Word to become "a lamp to your feet and a light on your path." Come to know with greater and greater depth what Psalm 119 means when it says;
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.
Jesus, even in his weakened state, was grounded in the Scriptures. By their witness he walked with his Father. Can the same be said for us?
TAKING IT HOME: MAKING THE BIBLE YOUR TREASURE
LEARN IT BY HEART!
Ponder Psalm 119:105. Commit it to memory.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
List some ways you have experienced this -- or would like to in the future.
SOME SUGGESTED WAYS TO GROUND YOURSELF IN SCRIPTURES
1. Read a section and answer these questions:
Is there a promise for me to claim?
Is there a sin for me to avoid?
Is there a command to obey?
Is there an attitude to adopt?
What do I learn about God? -- and me?
2. Imagine yourself into the text: Take on the role of one of the characters or an outside observer. Imagine the scene (heat, smells, tastes, touch, emotions, etc.)
Answer the question, "What is God trying to teach us?"
3. Lectio Divina
Quiet yourself in prayer and ask God to guide you.
Read slowly; seeking to go at the pace God sets.
Stop with each thought or word that arrests you and meditate on it fully.
Slowly withdraw from the Bible, thanking God for whatever you have been given.
