Temptation - Real Reenactors

          We are all reenactors. The difference between our reenactments and those of actors and actresses who reenact history on a stage is that the reenactments of humanity carry eternal consequences while reenactments of those who dramatize history on a stage are in the moment, as the dew on the morning grass.

            There is a sense in which we reenact the Temptation in the Garden of Eden every day. Compare this passage from Genesis with the following passage from 1 John:

            “He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” (Genesis 3:1a – 7, ESV)

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15 – 17).

            In Genesis Eve sees that the tree is good for food, in 1 John we read of the desires of the flesh. In Genesis Eve sees that the tree is a delight to the eyes, in 1 John we read of the desires of the eyes. In Genesis Eve sees that the tree is desired to make one wise, in 1 John we read of the pride of life.

            The warning that John gives in his letter is a warning that has its genesis in Genesis. The serpent is ever posing the question, “Has God said?” The enemy’s unrelenting attack is upon the Word of God, seeking to undermine our trust in, and obedience to, God’s Word.

            Temptation appeals to our egos, to our sensual and bodily desires, and to our desire to possess what we consider valuable. The word that the ESV translates as “desires” is often translated into English as “lusts” – when we lust for something we desire to possess it and consume it. Sadly, while we think we can posses and consume that which we lust for, the reality is that we are the ones who are possessed and consumed and destroyed.

            There is a story told of when the comedian W.C. Fields was nearing the last days of his life in a hospital. A friend walked into his room and saw him reading the Bible. When the friend asked Fields if he was searching for God, the comedian replied, “No, I’m looking for loopholes.” I don’t know whether this story is true, but I do know that it illustrates the way many of us approach temptation and the Bible, God’s Word. Rather than seeking grace to obey God’s Word in the midst of temptation and spiritual warfare, too often we look for loopholes. Are we thinking that maybe the serpent was right when he asked the question, “Has God said?”

            Every day of our lives we are reenacting the drama of the Garden of Eden. Shall we be the understudies of Adam of Eve, or will we be the understudies of our Lord Jesus Christ? As we will see in another meditation, our Lord Jesus engaged in His own reenactment when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness after His baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus rewrote the script, and in rewriting the script He gave us an invitation to join Him in the New Script, the New Creation, the New Man.

            In 1 Corinthians 4:9 Paul writes about being a spectacle to angels and to men. In Ephesians 3:10 he writes of God’s many-faceted wisdom being known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. We are reenactors on a cosmic stage – which part are we choosing to play when we are faced with temptation?

            Are we reprising the roles of Adam and Eve, or are we on stage with our Lord Jesus Christ?