The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-13
IN
LIFE OF CHRIST
Savior Without Sin but Not
Without Power to Be
Tempted.
BIBLE STORIES RECALLED
SERMON OF THE REV. H. &. HAYS
AT THIRD PRESBYTERIAN.

/ was the subject Of a sermon delivered
| yesterday at the Third Presbyterian
| church by the Rev. Herbert K. Hays,
/ who took his text from Matthew ",
/ ILL Reviewing the temptations OF
/ Christ and applying the lesson TO mod
ern life, Mr.. hays said, in part:
The text is the story o. the three
| great temptations which our Lord I'M
! derWent at the beginning of his minis
/ try. We forget sometimes that Jesus
| could be tempted. He was without sin,
but not without temptation. He was
| God, but also man, and he was tempted
with the things with which man, not
/ God, is tempted. Furthermore, he en-
dured as a man. He did not use his
/ miraculous powers as he did in some
/ things, but looked TO the Father far
/ nelp as we may.
The first temptation. Jesus had been
/ in the desert fasting for forty days. He
/ who a few weeks before had been pro-
| claimed the Son of Cod, now appeared
| simply as a famished man. About him
| lay the round stones, looking for all the
world like lOaVes of bread, and the ira
dition that they were lOaves from the
! destroyed cities of the plain, petrifed
through the ages, maddened his hunger.
AT this Opportune time the devil came
and said to him: If all this talk about
/ your being the Son of God is true,
make these stones into bread Why
not? He needed the bread, and ne was
/ able o perform the necessary miracle.
| Why not do it? But God had sent him
away from bread that other things
might be emphasized, and Christ's an
swer to the devil explains the whole sit
! uatiOn, Man shall not live by bread
alone There are other things, and
things which deserve the pTe-eminence.
The sentiment that when people have
food, clothing, shelter, etc, they have all
they need, is from the devil The sim
liar sentiment that since bread is tbs
main thing, we may do anything TO get
it, is of the same origin.
The second temptation. Jerusalem
could be seen from the desert, where
Jesus endured the first temptation. 1t
was the central city of the Jewish
world, and many precious memories
cluster about it. Hitler Jesus was led
for the second trial. The chief thing of
interest in the city was the Tempe, and
it was largely because Of this that the
people felt as they did about the city.
To the temple Jesus was escorted. On
the topmost pinnacle Of the temple the
priest stood TO announce the morning
and evening sacrifices.
"Hither Jesus was led. Perhaps the
priest had Just left the pinnacle and
other priests were busy in the court
yard below preparing the sacrifices
which fOTetOld the Messiah. Cast thy
self down. commanded the devil. You
have attracted little attention as yet;
leap down among them, stand in their
presence unhuTt, and proclaim that the
Messiah IS here Why not? He would
certainly attract attention to himself
and might do great good. But does that
sort of thing really help ChTists caDse2
Does il make men or fools? Does it
show faith or lack Of it? How would
you like TO be put to such sensational
tests that your friends might find
whether you cared for them. Thou
shall not make trial of the Lord thy
Cod But many are caught by such
religious theatricals that are not in
huenced to go to the devil for bread.
The third temptation. Out from Je-
rusalem Jesus was led to the top of q
high mountain. Most of Palestine and
the borders Of several other nations
could be seen and the rest could be
easily imagined. I will give you them
all declared the devil, if you will this
once fall down and worship me- Jesus
had nothing. He was here offered
everything, not only wealth, but power
Why not take it? lie had been prom
ised the kingdoms of the world. Per-
haps this was his chance. But Satan
wanted him to take them from him
rather than to win them by teaching,
suffering and centuries of toll; and he
wanted him to take them as they were
instead of purifying and ennobling
them as they came. Get thee hence
Saan, thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou serve
This is a power-loying age. We dearly
love to be boss. There must be leaders,
but let them ascend to their places in
Gods, rather than il the devils way.
Jesus could be tempted. Let US be
careful. The most cody is not i'm
mune from temptation. 1t is no sin to
be tempted. but to yield an inch is sin
Our hope for protection in temptation
is in Jesus Christ. He has overcome,
and through him are men able to over
come