Overcoming Temptation:
Gen. 39: 3-12; I Cor. 10: 12-17
A friend of mine struggle greatly with temptation. He seems to live life by the a motto attributed to author Oscar Wilde, “I can resist everything except temptation.” My friend indulged in women, food, beverages, partying…every single self-gratifying thing you could imagine. Now, in his late 40s, all that engagement with temptation has earned him the three Ds: divorced, diabetic, and a dumpy body. He said to me once, “As you get older, the only thing temptation gets is more expensive.,” and I believe he is right about that.
Temptation is something we often face. Whether it is food, fun, avoiding work, or anything else, we will all face some level of temptation in life. In our scripture for today, we read of the example of Joseph’s temptation in Genesis, and how he responded. We also get a very clear instruction on dealing with temptation in I Corinthians. There are three lessons for us on wrestling with temptation: first, temptation is…well…tempting; second, temptation is an idol which leads to destruction; lastly, look for the way out God provides.
First, temptation is a very tempting thing. We read in our lesson from Genesis that Joseph was handsome and well-built. In modern terms, I think one would say he was a stud or a hunk. Potipher’s wife began to look lustfully at Joseph. The Message translation says Joseph was “strikingly handsome,” and calls this an infatuation. The King James leaves out Joseph’s appearance but says she “cast her eye upon him.” Either way, it is safe to conclude that Potipher’s wife found Joseph irresistible, perhaps even very tempting as a short-term companion.
The problem with temptation is that it is so tempting. In the creation story Eve is tempted to eat the forbidden fruit because of the potential power it can give her. Potipher’s wife was tempted by Joseph’s attractiveness. King David was tempted to kill Uriah because of his compound temptation to have an affair with the man’s wife. The disciples were tempted to sleep while Jesus prayed in the garden. And when my diabetic self walks into the sweet shop on St. Simon’s Island, I understand the meaning of, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” No one is tempted by stale broccoli. It is the allure of something we shouldn’t have which makes temptation so strong.
When we give into temptation, we allow a desire for immediate gratification to overwhelm our better logic. In a time of stress and vulnerability, it is easy to let our guard down and fall into a pattern of temptation. Humankind wrestles with all manner of temptation: sexual, food, bad behavior, retaliation and anger, power, money, politics. If it can be a blessing, it can become a temptation. That is why we must be on guard and evaluate ourselves.
The problem with temptation is that it is an idol in our lives and carries destructive consequences. I Corinthians talks about temptation. And it couches it in terms of idols. The exact words are, “So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.” The church at Corinth was a large and strong church, but they engaged in some very pagan and problematic practices. Many of those practices were self-gratifying in the same way temptation is. Temptation will come in between us and our relationship to God. And that’s exactly what an idol is. How many times do we read of temptation and idolatry going hand in hand? The Israelites were tempted and worshipped a literal golden calf. Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness would have led him to worship Satan had he given in. If Joseph had given in to Potipher’s wife, he would have been valuing her over his closeness to God.
This has real and destructive consequences for us—physically and spiritually. If your temptation is sugar, you will become diabetic. If your temptation is intimacy, you may very well catch something infectious. If your temptation is power and money, you will lose your faithfulness and humanity to the almighty dollar you’re your temptation is drugs and alcohol, you risk death from something toxic to you. Giving in to our worst temptations has consequences. It damages both our faith and ourselves physically. It’s not a punishment, a God-orchestrated chaos in our lives. It’s usually just the simple consequences of actions.
Paul wrote in I Corinthians, “Flee from the worship of idols.” That is exactly what Joseph did. When Potipher’s wife came with a proposition that was wrong and in appropriate, Joseph said no and walked away. I am sure she was alluring. I am sure the idea of getting favors by giving in to her desires would have been a good offer for Joseph. But the temptation was wrong, and Joseph placed his relationship with God above his most carnal desire.
When temptation comes our way, we must look for the way out. I Corinthians tells us, “God is faithful. [God] will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, [God] will show you a way out, so you can endure.” For Joseph, that way out was to simply flee from the sexual advances of Potipher’s wife. But also, for Joseph, there was risk all the way around. He was a slave in this home. He had no rights to assert against Potipher or his wife. Sometimes we simply have to say firmly and resolutely, “NO,” to whatever temptation comes to us in life. Then we rely on God to help us.
Jesus is no stranger to temptation. As part of his time here on earth experiencing the human condition, he endured temptation from Satan in the wilderness. He was tempted with food, with excitement, and with power. Yet each time, despite his hunger, weariness, and vulnerability, Jesus said no to the temptations brought to him. As followers of Christ, we can rely on Jesus to bear us through when life’s temptations become more than we can bear on our own. We cannot always control struggles in life as trials and troubles may come without warning. But we can always control our response to temptation, with Gods help.
A coworker from many years and jobs ago learned first-hand the trials and struggles of temptation. He and another co-worker did not get along, and that other co-worker was being very, very difficult. Unable to stand anymore, my first coworker gave into the temptation, and cussed him out in a room full of people before stomping off. I talked to him later on. He admitted that in the moment of letting loose it felt so good to give into the temptation of blessing out the other coworker. But, he admitted, in the long run, he has ruined his respectability and integrity within the profession. Both later resigned.
It is easy to be swept up and give in to things that tempt us, but temptation never comes from a good place. Temptation is a sneaky issue that appeals to our instant pleasure, but it costs us dearly in the long run. But in addition to Jesus, rely on those in the faith with you to help overcome. Joseph was utterly alone, except for God. Yet we have a family of faith together who can support us and help us. Paul writes, “Though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.” The strength of our faith is that we never journey alone. We have a body of believers, a family, that will be with us in every difficulty.
So, then, when you face temptation remember that it’s going to be tough because it will appeal to every sense of immediate gratification you have. But we cannot give in to temptation because it represents an idol between us and God, and the outcome will always be detrimental to our spiritual and physical well-being. In those times, we can let Jesus guide us through. Jesus understands temptation and the struggle we face, but Jesus also can help us overcome. When we feel like there’s no option but to give in and say, “I can resist everything but temptation,” remember that with God’s help, we can. Our faith, like Joseph’s, will guide us through.
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