JourneyTalk:
Spiritual Fellowship Retreat 2012
Notes from the annual Spiritual Fellowship Retreat at Dutch Valley Restaurant, Sugar Creek, Ohio, with participants from
Saint John Lutheran Church, Massillon, Ohio
Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Steubenville, Ohio
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Lodi, Ohio
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Malvern, Ohio
Life Under the Cross: Trials and Temptations
Let's begin with an exercise based on the Ten CommandmentsI. You'll need a bag of chocolate eggs or other candy.
The First Commandment.
The Second Commandment.
The Third Commandment.
The Fourth Commandment.
The Fifth Commandment.
The Sixth Commandment.
The Seventh Commandment.
The Eighth Commandment.
The Ninth Commandment.
The Tenth Commandment.
Now that your stash of candy is an indicator of your success in resisting temptation, let's go on to a little Catechism study.
The Sixth Petition (Small Catechism)
And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean?--Answer.
God, indeed, tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and gain the victory.
The Sixth Petition (Large Catechism)
[99] And lead us not into temptation.
101] Temptation, however, or (as our Saxons in olden times used to call it) Bekoerunge, is of three kinds, namely, of the flesh, of the world, and of the devil. 102] For in the flesh we dwell and carry the old Adam about our neck, who exerts himself and incites us daily to inchastity, laziness, gluttony and drunkenness, avarice and deception, to defraud our neighbor and to overcharge him, and, in short, to all manner of evil lusts which cleave to us by nature, and to which we are incited by the society, example and what we hear and see of other people, which often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.
103] Next comes the world, which offends us in word and deed, and impels us to anger, and impatience. In short, there is nothing but hatred and envy, enmity, violence and wrong, unfaithfulness, vengeance, cursing, raillery, slander, pride and haughtiness, with superfluous finery, honor, fame, and power, where no one is willing to be the least, but every one desires to sit at the head and to be seen before all.
106] This, then, is leading us not into temptation, to wit, when He gives us power and strength to resist, the temptation, however, not being taken away or removed. For while we live in the flesh and have the devil about us, no one can escape temptation and allurements; and it cannot be otherwise than that we must endure trials, yea, be engulfed in them; but we pray for this, that we may not fall and be drowned in them.
107] To feel temptation is therefore a far different thing from consenting or yielding to it. We must all feel it, although not all in the same manner, but some in a greater degree and more severely than others; as, the young suffer especially from the flesh, afterwards, they that attain to middle life and old age, from the world, but others who are occupied with spiritual matters, that is, strong Christians, from the devil. 108] But such feeling, as long as it is against our will and we would rather be rid of it, can harm no one. For if we did not feel it, it could not be called a temptation. But to consent thereto is when we give it the reins and do not resist or pray against it.
110] Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run hither and to take hold of the Lord's Prayer, and thus speak to God from the heart: Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally acknowledge themselves conquered. 111] Else if you venture to help yourself by your own thoughts and counsel, you will only make the matter worse and give the devil more space. For he has a serpent's head, which if it gain an opening into which he can slip, the whole body will follow without check. But prayer can prevent him and drive him back.
And finally, a bit of a Verse Study just because it always bugs me when this verse is quoted out of context - I Corinthians 1:13
King James Version (KJV)
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
New International Version (NIV)
13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
13There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.
The Message (MSG)
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
13 πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφεν εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος· πιστὸς δὲ ὁ θεός, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε, ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ [a]δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν.
1 Corinthians 10:1-17 New International Version (NIV)
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
The First Commandment.
- If you’ve ever thought or said “I accomplished this, with Jesus’ help” – do nothing.
- If you’ve ever thought or said “I didn’t do anything – Jesus is the one who did it all” – take a piece of candy.
The Second Commandment.
- If you’ve ever thought or said “God damn it!” or “Jesus Christ!” – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever thought or said any such thing – take a piece of candy.
The Third Commandment.
- If you’ve ever not gone to church because you’ve “had something else to do” – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever made up an excuse for not going to church – take a piece of candy.
The Fourth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever found yourself thinking or saying something like “That (politician / teacher / police officer / pastor / parent / whatever) has done nothing to earn my respect” – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever thought or said anything like that – take a piece of candy.
The Fifth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever punched someone in the nose – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever punched someone in the nose – take a piece of candy.
The Sixth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever thought that life with your spouse was getting kind of tiring or boring – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever had that kind of thought – take a piece of candy.
The Seventh Commandment.
- If you’ve ever outbid someone at an auction, not because you wanted the item but just because you wanted to beat the other person; or if you’ve ever taken the last of something (a brownie, a cookie, whatever) just so a certain other person couldn’t get it – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever done anything like that – take a piece of candy.
The Eighth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever heard a conversation about another person that you were pretty sure was exaggerated or even untrue, but you kept out of it and said nothing – do nothing.
- If you’ve always jumped in to defend a person others were talking badly about – take a piece of candy.
The Ninth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever bought something you wanted, and then snuck it into the house so your spouse (or parent) doesn’t know – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever done that - take a piece of candy.
The Tenth Commandment.
- If you’ve ever tried to get someone on your side by claiming (maybe falsely) that another person in authority agrees with you; for example, if you’ve ever said “But Dad, Mom said I could” or to a coworker “the boss said we should do this” or “I know the Pastor would want us to do that” – do nothing.
- If you’ve never, ever done anything like that - take a piece of candy.
Now that your stash of candy is an indicator of your success in resisting temptation, let's go on to a little Catechism study.
The Sixth Petition (Small Catechism)
And lead us not into temptation.
What does this mean?--Answer.
God, indeed, tempts no one; but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and though we be assailed by them, that still we may finally overcome and gain the victory.
- The temptations we face are most often deceptions and seductions. I think that we're seldom tempted to do something we find distasteful or disgusting; instead, we're tempted with something that looks good and might be beneficial, like the apple seemed to Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The Sixth Petition (Large Catechism)
[99] And lead us not into temptation.
101] Temptation, however, or (as our Saxons in olden times used to call it) Bekoerunge, is of three kinds, namely, of the flesh, of the world, and of the devil. 102] For in the flesh we dwell and carry the old Adam about our neck, who exerts himself and incites us daily to inchastity, laziness, gluttony and drunkenness, avarice and deception, to defraud our neighbor and to overcharge him, and, in short, to all manner of evil lusts which cleave to us by nature, and to which we are incited by the society, example and what we hear and see of other people, which often wound and inflame even an innocent heart.
- The temptations of the flesh cause us to wound ourselves and to be wounded by others.
103] Next comes the world, which offends us in word and deed, and impels us to anger, and impatience. In short, there is nothing but hatred and envy, enmity, violence and wrong, unfaithfulness, vengeance, cursing, raillery, slander, pride and haughtiness, with superfluous finery, honor, fame, and power, where no one is willing to be the least, but every one desires to sit at the head and to be seen before all.
- The temptations of the world relate to the "you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" of the serpent
- The temptations of the devil cause us to place our faith, hope, and love in things other than the true source of comfort and security, the God who has given us His Son Jesus.
106] This, then, is leading us not into temptation, to wit, when He gives us power and strength to resist, the temptation, however, not being taken away or removed. For while we live in the flesh and have the devil about us, no one can escape temptation and allurements; and it cannot be otherwise than that we must endure trials, yea, be engulfed in them; but we pray for this, that we may not fall and be drowned in them.
- When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, all we know is that anyone bitten by a poisonous serpent could look at the bronze serpent and live. We don't know how long the poisonous serpents stayed around, or how many more people were bitten by them. It's not that the plague was removed - it's that God provided salvation even in the midst of the trial.
- Please note that last line. Sometimes we are engulfed in trials, and that is the way of life in this world; but we pray that we may not be drowned in them, and that is how God spares us in love.
107] To feel temptation is therefore a far different thing from consenting or yielding to it. We must all feel it, although not all in the same manner, but some in a greater degree and more severely than others; as, the young suffer especially from the flesh, afterwards, they that attain to middle life and old age, from the world, but others who are occupied with spiritual matters, that is, strong Christians, from the devil. 108] But such feeling, as long as it is against our will and we would rather be rid of it, can harm no one. For if we did not feel it, it could not be called a temptation. But to consent thereto is when we give it the reins and do not resist or pray against it.
110] Accordingly, there is no help or comfort except to run hither and to take hold of the Lord's Prayer, and thus speak to God from the heart: Dear Father, Thou hast bidden me pray; let me not relapse because of temptations. Then you will see that they must desist, and finally acknowledge themselves conquered. 111] Else if you venture to help yourself by your own thoughts and counsel, you will only make the matter worse and give the devil more space. For he has a serpent's head, which if it gain an opening into which he can slip, the whole body will follow without check. But prayer can prevent him and drive him back.
- Pay close attention to the last sentence, too!
And finally, a bit of a Verse Study just because it always bugs me when this verse is quoted out of context - I Corinthians 1:13
King James Version (KJV)
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
New International Version (NIV)
13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
13There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.
The Message (MSG)
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
13 πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφεν εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος· πιστὸς δὲ ὁ θεός, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε, ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ [a]δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν.
- Most often, the out-of-context "quoting" of this verse is of the form "God won't give you more than you can handle." Often, I think the person saying these words is either trying to give someone else a pep talk (like The Little Engine that Could) or is kindly saying "suck it up and stop whining." But sometimes the people to whom these words are said are really being overwhelmed in the flood, as Luther said, and desperately praying that they may not drown - it IS more than they can handle!
- So what is the context of the verse? What is a better way to look at it? Let's see:
1 Corinthians 10:1-17 New International Version (NIV)
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
- So there you have it. It's not that God won't give you more than you can handle; it's that there is nothing uncommon about the trial and temptation experiences you might be having. Others have experienced the same things in the past - including and especially Jesus! And it is He who is the way out! By His suffering and death, and by His resurrection, He has suffered all that we suffer; He has taken all the accusations to the cross and nailed them there; He has called to us "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The answer to trials and temptations is not to think that God is going easy on you, but rather to run to the cross and grab it will all your heart and soul and strength and mind and there, at the feet of Jesus, find the comfort and relief and protection that you seek. Flee to the body of Christ - whether on the cross, on the altar, or in the fellowship of the believers around you - because it is there that He will give you rest.
