Most people who were raised in an Anglican, Lutheran or Catholic tradition know a bit about the season of Lent. It's a time for self-reflection, repentance and self-denial. The reasons for repentance and reflection may seem obvious to us, because everyone could stand to improve some things in their lives. But why self-denial? This sermon examines Jesus' temptation in the wilderness to answer this question. Jesus' 40 days of temptation is the model for the 40 days of Lent we celebrate in the church, and it shows us that self-denial helps us on the road to more patience and self-control. These are things we benefit from throughout the year.

Scripture references: Luke 4:1-13; Genesis 3

Preached on the First Sunday in Lent, March 10, 2019 by Rev. Stephen Silverthorne

Sermon Highlights

• Jesus' temptation reminds us we all will be tempted
• Jesus' temptations are temptations to impatience
• The things the devil offered were good, but the means and timing were bad
• We practice self-denial to teach us patience with God
• God gives good things, but we must learn to receive them at the right time
• Jesus' victory over temptations is foretaste of his victory over death
• Jesus gives us victory over our temptations
• These victories give us hope he will give us victory over death

Further Reading

• Keep the Fast, Keep the Feast by Peter Leithart
• This is an excellent article on Jesus' fasting and how it can train our patience
• A report on consumer debt in Canada by the Financial Post
• An article on the alarming levels of debt we carry, partly because of our need for instant gratification

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