I think that it is true that we, as humans, usually have more sympathy for those who struggle with the same issues we struggle with.We have an easier time overlooking a person's failure if we have experienced failure in the same area. Someone who struggles with their temper knows how hard it is to stay calm and is a sympathetic soul to those who share that same struggle.
I believe it is also true that we tend to look down on others who struggle with issues that we don't struggle with, or in areas that are foreign to us. Someone who does not struggle with something like lust will often fail to realize how difficult and powerful that struggle might be for another person. And in many cases we look down on people with different struggles, while sympathizing with those with similar problems.
Thankfully Jesus is a sympathetic High Priest. The author of Hebrews writes:
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."-Hebrews 4:15
Jesus is a High Priest who can identify with our struggles. He was sinless, yet He knows how hard it is to seek righteousness in a fallen world. Take note that we are told that Christ was tempted in every respect that we are. This gives us confidence to go to Him as someone who can identify with our individual struggles, and seek His help. Jesus is a priest who knows how difficult your temptations are. He understands and tells us to come to Him with bold confidence. As the next verse makes clear:
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."-Hebrews 4:16
It is comforting to know that after we fail Him, we can approach our Great High Priest looking for mercy and grace in our time of need. We can do that, because He has been there. He knows our struggles. He can identify with our weakness. Yet better still He was victorious over these struggles and gives us the power, grace, and forgiveness to overcome them as well.
One of the most well known and important incidents that takes place in the Gospels is when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness by Satan. At the very beginning of His ministry Jesus submitted himself to be baptized by John the Baptist. We are told that it was at that baptism that Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit.... "the heavens opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him" (Matthew 3:16.). From there, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
After fasting for forty days, Satan comes on the scene and presents Jesus with three temptations. The first was to turn stones in to bread. The second was to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, trusting that God would send His angels to protect Jesus. And the third was to bow down and worship Satan in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world.
Now, I grew up in the church and have studied this passage multiple times and even preached on it before, but recently a book I'm reading has helped my understanding of these temptations quite a bit. The book is Russell Moore's "Tempted and Tried", and the author made an observation about these temptations that has really opened my eyes. He points out that these temptations that Satan was assailing Jesus with were actually failed attempts of adoption. Here is what Dr. Moore says:
"Satan was not just trying to tempt Jesus; He was attempting to adopt Jesus. Satan, in all three temptations, is assuming the role of father --first in provision, then in protection, and now in the granting of an inheritance. Satan didn't just want to be Jesus' lord; he wanted to be his father." (pg.137)
I believe this observation really pinpoints Satan's motivation in attacking people. Satan looks to take the role of father... more specifically our Heavenly Father. He wants God's throne. That is why he was kicked out of heaven to begin with (Isaiah14:13-14). And in this most important of temptations, he sought to take the role of God the Father in the life of God the Son.
When I think of the role of father, I think of two words: trust and dependence. We look to our fathers to provide for us, protect us, and to keep His promises to us. Satan tries to cast doubt on God's trustworthiness. He asks us, Can you believe His Word? Will He meet your needs? What about the future?
Now, Satan is not necessarily looking for us to do what he was asking Jesus to do in third temptation. He does not explicitly ask us to bow down and worship him, but that type of worship is taking place when we begin to doubt the trustworthiness of God. That doubt robs God of glory that belongs exclusively to Him. We then fail to ascribe the proper "worth" to God that He deserves.
The adversary wants us to trust in something else rather than God. I don't think he cares what we trust in, just so long as it is not in God. This could include your spouse, job, talents, friends, seatbelt....whatever. He's happy for you to have all kinds of fathers just so long as you are not resting in your Heavenly Father.
But when we start to think that we must provide for ourselves, Satan becomes our father. When we start to think that we are independent, Satan becomes our father. When we worry about our future inheritance, Satan becomes our father.
These are temptations that will manifest themselves in our lives in different ways. What should we do? Well, we are given an example by Jesus to combat this attack. Jesus answered all the devil's attacks by quoting God's Word back to him. In doing that, He affirmed that God, and His Word are trustworthy. He is proving that our Heavenly Father is faithful, and will meet our needs. Who is your Father?
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” -John 8:42-47
I believe it is also true that we tend to look down on others who struggle with issues that we don't struggle with, or in areas that are foreign to us. Someone who does not struggle with something like lust will often fail to realize how difficult and powerful that struggle might be for another person. And in many cases we look down on people with different struggles, while sympathizing with those with similar problems.
