Dependent

The story of the temptation of Jesus is huge.  Sermons and literature have been extensively written about this story, and rightfully so, as it is a powerful story because it demonstrates the powerful Word of the Lord and shows how we have been given a high priest who underwent same temptations we have gone through.  Incredible stuff!   And so this temptation story has become the benchmark of engaging in spiritual warfare with the enemy.  

This is all well and good.  It is so important to realize this and know the Word of the Lord when temptations come.  But as I was reading the text, I couldn't get my mind off this particular verse:

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil...He had fasted forty days and forty nights..."

whoa, wait a second...Jesus was led up by the Spirit...?  In other words, this was his choice?  Jesus deliberately brought this upon himself?  Jesus fasted and went to the desert and underwent this solitude in 120 degree weather...by choice?  Why?  This spiritual retreat was tough!

And here is what I realized from this self-inflicted retreat.  You see, we place a lot emphasis on the Word of God part of the temptations.  Which is good, please don't get hear me wrong on this, the Word of the Lord is powerful.  But we tend to forget the 40 days before that.  The Word of the Lord isn't some magical formula we can memorize and recite when danger comes.  Rather we forget about those forty days of work--the suffering, and learning, and starvation, and silence, and solitude, and the days of being still before God--the other part of the deal.  Jesus knew the Words.  Heck, He wrote them.  But He knew that there was something He needed before He did anything.  He had the Words, He had the Spirit (from His baptism), but He needed one more thing... He needed to become absolutely dependent on the Father.  

The Word, the Spirit, and dependency on the Father.  I often wonder how this compares to the typical spiritual retreat we go on.  Often I feel like we take the easy route when we go on spiritual retreats that are quiet and serene with the beauty of nature surrounding us; with awesome worship during the day and good speakers by night?  It looks nothing like the retreat Christ went on.  Jesus chose to go through this wilderness experience and came back barely hanging on: strong in spirit, but weak in flesh; skinny, hungry, sun-beaten, delirious, weak, only to meet His greatest enemy. We come back spiritual charged and physically rejuvenated and ready to take on the world; we feel.  We have the Word, we have the Spirit, but are we becoming dependent on the Father?  Are we purposefully putting ourselves in a place where this can happen?

I find that it isn't just about knowledge and spiritual good feelings, or getting a spiritual high and getting "recharged".  Surprisingly, I also find that it's not only becoming intimate with God or knowing Him better, though this is good.  It is ultimately about becoming dependent on Him.  That is the difference.  Dependence on our Lord in this way is the only way we will, like Jesus, ever be able to say with authority, "Away from me Satan, for it is written 'Worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only".