The Dark Shadows

Listening for the voice of God is tricky business.  As we listen for that Word, the tempter often slips in, speaking a word that seems to be the voice of God.  As we remember the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness after His baptism, we see that Jesus recognized from the very beginning that the voice He heard was the voice of the evil one.  We do not always so quickly discern that the evil spirit is seeking to lead us.  The reason is obvious.  To look at the story found in the 4th chapter of Luke's gospel is to see that we are often tempted to do a good thing for the wrong reason.     

The first temptation was about feeding the world's hungry.  If we heard a plan to wipe out world hunger, we would certainly lend an ear to hear.  If we had power to control the powers that oppress the world's people, we would be in a position to change the lives of so many victims of the unjust systems of our society.  The final temptation was about being a powerful leader who could change the direction of the world's masses.  Jesus did not have go to a cross to save the world, there was an easier way.    

All of these moments of temptation had within them the potential for good, but it also meant choosing the short cut to God's plan.  It meant choosing the expedient way instead of the sacrificial way of God.  It meant choosing a way which spoke of what I can do instead of what God can do through me.  The things Jesus was tempted to do were not bad things.  They were good things.  The temptation was to do the good, but to do it according to our own agenda instead of the agenda of God.   The voice Jesus heard is still being spoken.  As we seek to hear the voice of the Lord, we must never forget this voice which comes from the dark shadows.