Lent Week 4 - Trusting or Testing?

Scripture Reading

Matthew 4:1-2, 5-7

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Big Idea (For Parents)

The sequence of wilderness temptations during Jesus’ 40-day fast is patterned after that of Israel in its Exodus from Egypt. After Israel’s baptism in the Red Sea (Exodus 14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-2; cf. Matthew 3:13-17), they immediately faced a hunger temptation, which they failed by sinful grumbling (Exodus 16:2; cf. Matthew 4:1-4). Having nevertheless received bread from heaven (Exodus 16:4), the people next experienced a lack of water and—despite God’s continuous provision for them thus far—sinfully “tested” God by demanding provision in their own way and time rather than trusting God to provide for them according to God’s own plan (Exodus 17:1-7). Satan’s second temptation of Jesus involves the same thing—tempting Jesus to act to demand salvation in Jesus’ way and time rather than trusting God to provide it according to God’s own plan. Jesus’ response, a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:16 warning against Israel’s wilderness testing of God, shows Jesus defeating temptation by choosing to trust God now, based on what God’s already said and done, rather than demanding something more of God before considering him worthy of trust.

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Family Reflection

(Read aloud or summarize)

“Wilderness” situations are those in which we are not experiencing one or more of God’s good gifts. We can be in the “wilderness” because we are choosing to fast. We can also be there because God has ordered our lives such that we don’t have something good for a time.

In the wilderness, the devil tempts us to demand that God provide for our felt needs in our own way and time before we are willing to trust God. This is called testing God. Testing God is telling God, “I will trust and obey you if you first do this for me.” If Jesus had thrown himself down from the temple, he would have demanded that God save Jesus from death in Jesus’ way and time. Jesus had to trust that God would save him, but only according to God’s own plan. Based on all the good God had already given, Jesus knew he could trust God without demanding any more proof of God’s power and willingness to save. He defeated temptation by trusting, not testing, God.

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Discussion Questions

(Choose 1–2, adjust for age)

1- What good gifts has God already given you that show God’s power and willingness to bless you in his way and time?

2- How are you currently tempted to test God by demanding he do something for you before you fully trust and obey him?

3- How is the temptation to test God related to the temptation of impatience we discussed last week?

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Practice—Name It and Disclaim It

(Simple, embodied action for the week)

-Name one circumstance in which you are individually or as a family tempted to test God by holding back your full trust in him until he does something for you?

-Pray together and renounce that temptation, expressly telling God he is worthy of all your trust and obedience now and will continue to be no matter what he does regarding the thing for which you’re tempted to test him.

-Take any necessary, initial action to begin to live out that commitment.