A New Definition of Sin

To read the Temptation Story in the book of Matthew is to come to a new definition of sin.  It is a well remembered moment in the Jesus narrative.  After His baptism He is led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He is tempted by the devil.  As we look closely at the three temptations we see that the one thing they have in common is that they all represent the short cut.  What Satan tempts Jesus to buy are all good things: feeding the hungry, doing the spectactular to captivate a crowd, having all the kingdoms of the world bow down before Him.     

The sin is not in the end result, but in the means to accomplish it.  It is the old story about the tension between the means justifying the end.  The sin is in the shortcut.  And as we look back over our years and our moments of dealing with temptation, we see ever so clearly that so often our sins were framed inside getting a good thing now instead of later, when we wanted it instead of when God planned it, according to our need for instant gratification against God's Word about waiting.  The short cut always seems to have such a strong appeal.     

Jesus recognized what was going on in the wilderness.  He also knew that the Father's way was not the immediate painless way, but one that would take Him into the control of people filled with the evil of Satan and finally to a cross where He would die a slow and painful death.  Surely, the devil must have known that the temptation of the short cut was one that had merit, but still it was one that fell short of having such power as to thwart the plan of the Father which was taking root in the heart of Jesus.  Watch out for the short cuts that appear to take us toward the things of God.  They have a way of leading us into sin.