“I Don’t Wanna” – Luke 4:1-13 – February 25, 2007

One time I was in Walmart and I happened to observe a young woman who had a young child in her shopping cart. Every time the woman turned her back the child would grab something off the shelf and put it in the cart. “No, you can’t have that!” she said. The child would then start throwing a temper tantrum and screamed back, “I want it, I want it!” This same scenario occurred a number of times until finally the woman gave in. I didn’t see the woman again until I was in the check-out line. There she was, a few lines over, with her cart full and the child hugging a huge teddy bear.

I am sure that you have witnessed similar behavior. Let’s make no mistake, we adults do the same thing. If there is something we really want we will do whatever we have to, to get it. Only we don’t have to throw a temper tantrum, we just use a credit card.

At the same time, there are things we don’t want to do. There is the teenager who doesn’t want to go on a family picnic, because they would rather stay home and hang out with their friends. “I don’t wanna!” Or, there is the husband who doesn’t want to go the shopping mall, since he would rather stay home and watch the ball game. “I don’t wanna!” Or perhaps there is the child who wants to go out and play instead of doing his/her homework. “I don’t wanna!” We have all said, “I don’t wanna,” at some point in our lives. As human beings, we want what we want.

One time there was a man who didn’t want to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. His mother repeatedly kept coming to his room, telling him to get out of bed because it was time to go to church.. “I don’t wanna!” he replied. After the third time his mother said, “You have to get out of bed and go to church because you are the pastor!”

Jesus said, “I don’t wanna,” but he was saying “No” to things that would get in the way of his mission in life. Jesus was always concerned for others and never concerned for himself. He said “No,” to security, “No,” to power and “No,” to being master of his own fate. For Jesus, it was all about a life of self-denial.

The things Jesus said “No” to, are the very things we say “Yes” to. We want security. We enjoy power and we like being in control of our lives. Jesus, on the other hand, was committed to denying himself of these and being totally dependent on God.

Jesus was tempted by the devil with miracle producing, self-serving rewards. What is it we are tempted by in modern times? First, I believe we are tempted with survival of the fittest instead of mutual cooperation.

In an old monastery near Bebenhausen, Germany, you can see two pairs of deer horns hanging on the wall. They are totally interlocked. They were found in that position many years ago. Apparently, two bucks had been fighting for territorial rights to the heard when their horns became jammed together. They died in a fighting position, unable to find a way of cooperating so that on bended knees, they both might eat, drink and eventually free themselves from each other.

Their unlocked horns are just like many of our relationships where people become so entrenched with their own agendas and position that they angrily confront anyone who opposes them. In the process they lock horns, unable to find a mutual way of loving each other. The need to be self-sufficient is what is causing many folks to be depressed or live in despair. Also, I believe that in our society we have been conditioned to think we can manage life without any outside help. Few people believe that God will see them through the struggles of life.

Secondly, we are tempted with success, building bigger structures, improving our present situation. The story is told of a farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm with fertile soil, but the farmer thought, “Perhaps there is something better out there.” Every day he found a new reason for being critical of his old farm. Finally, he decided to sell. He listed the farm with a real estate broker who promptly prepared an advertisement. The ad emphasized all the many advantages of the farm; ideal acreage, ideal location, modern equipment, healthy stock, acres of fertile ground, high yielding crops, well-kept barns and pens and a nice two-story house. The real estate agent called the farmer to get his approval for placing the ad. When he had finished reading it the farmer replied, “Hold everything. I’ve changed my mind. That’s the place I been looking for all my life!”

We are frequently tempted to look for greener pastures and want bigger and better things. We are never satisfied with what we already have. We are more concerned with making our lives secure than we are trusting in God.

Third, we are also tempted to compromise our beliefs. We like to play, let’s make a deal, consequently selling our soul in order to maintain our independence. I believe that our egos often get in the way of what God wants for our lives.

One time there was an attorney who used his talents of words to make as much money as he possibly could. For years he strived to win every case which resulted in huge settlements and fees for him. The more cases he won the more he wanted to win. He eventually graduated from domestic cases to corporate ones. Greed got the best of him and he made excessive amounts of money. He was obsessed with smooth talking his way through court proceedings and lost any sense of ethics and personal integrity. He eventually was convicted for fraud and landed in prison. Faced with little chance of parole he discovered that all the smooth talking and winning formulas in the world would not get him released from jail. With support and help from fellow inmates, chaplains, teachers and counselors he finally resolved that he needed God’s help. He changed his ways and began studying theology and doing what he could to help other inmates. Miraculously he was later pardoned and set free. Today he has joined a local church and uses his speaking skills by teaching adult classes. However, he regrets that he has lost over twenty years of his life serving himself instead of serving others.

Few of us compromise our beliefs to this extreme. But, anytime we look the other way, go along with what is popular, or give a low priority to our faith we give in to temptation.

Jesus’ resistance to temptation has given us a life model to follow. Whenever we give in to temptation we are living with a false sense of security. When we can live by trusting in God, submitting to God’s will instead of our own, we will always be satisfied and we will always be at peace.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio