Sermon for February 22, 2026
Lent 1 A
Matthew 3:17 – 4:11
Rev. Karl-John N. Stone
Have you followed this tragic news story about the nine skiers who perished in an avalanche in the backcountry near Lake Tahoe, California? Such a devastating loss. Many of them were part of the same friend group, middle-aged moms who were all very experienced skiers, and who loved to spend time in the wilderness. I would guess that they were drawn to it for many of the same reasons as others who go to the wilderness—the quiet away from all the noise of modern life, the solitude and intense beauty. Even though wilderness can be dangerous in certain conditions, when you know what the possible risks are, then you can take steps ahead of time to either reduce the risk, or avoid it all together.
With the nine skiers who died, it seems that right now there are more questions than answers about why they took the route they did. Given their experience, and the expertise of their guides, they would surely have known about the avalanche warning, and the danger of the particular route they took; and they surely would have known that there was a safer alternative route, too. We just don’t know the factors that went into their decision-making, and I’m sure we’ll learn more eventually. But I did read about another experienced backcountry skier who left that same wilderness area a couple days earlier, who said that if he absolutely needed to get out that day, he would have taken the exact same route as those who perished, even knowing the avalanche danger. Because of lessons he had learned from the wilderness over decades, he urged compassion, not blame. [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/us/avalanche-tahoe-huts.html]
There’s something about the wilderness that teaches you lessons that you might not learn anywhere else. And maybe that’s why many people feel drawn to go there. Resources are limited to what you can carry or forage—so you learn about humility, frugality, generosity, and perhaps most importantly you learn about your own vulnerability and limitations. I’ll never forget the sign that greets hikers in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire, when you reach treeline: “STOP. The area ahead has the worst weather in America. Many have died there from exposure even in the summer. Turn back now if the weather is bad.” Yes, you may have the physical fitness, emotional desire, and mental toughness to reach the summit—but today might not be your day. You are vulnerable. Know your limitations.
I think this is why the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil; it was the best place to learn lessons that he couldn’t learn anywhere else. Jesus had just been baptized; his identity was confirmed by God: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus knew his God-given gifts, he knew what he was capable of in carrying out his mission to bless and save the world. But to accomplish this mission, he would need to fully walk in the shoes of the people he came to save. He needed to be what he was born to be: one of us. Not just similar to us. Like us in every way. Therefore, he needed to become intimately acquainted with his own limitations and vulnerabilities, because that’s where compassion comes from. When you can accept compassion for your weaknesses, then you can give compassion to others in their weaknesses.
So, Jesus began his time in the wilderness by fasting for 40 days and nights. Notice that the devil doesn’t bother him when he’s just getting started; when he’s full of enthusiasm and confidence. The devil comes only after 40 long days, when Jesus is famished. He is starving. He is making it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time. He is vulnerable—and that’s when the devil comes to test him.
As the tests begin, Jesus has a choice in how to respond. He could say, “Yeah, I’m famished, but I got this. I am the Son of God after all.” That’s what the tempter was banking on. You’re hungry? Just turn these stones into loaves of bread. Who’s gonna know?… You want people to follow you? Just jump off the top of the temple and let the angels catch you—that’ll get the word out! I bet you’ll have a huge crowd the next day. … You’re interested in being more influential than the glorious kingdoms of the world? Just worship me, and I’ll give you everything!
The devil was tempting him to live only for himself, to find his identity and worth in what he was able to accomplish, or what other people thought of him, or by what he was able to accumulate and possess. And if those are the places you go looking for your identity and worth, can you ever get enough to finally feel fulfilled?
But Jesus had another choice, as well. He could also respond to the devil by saying, “Yes, I am famished, weak, and vulnerable. And because I am the Beloved Son of God, therefore I can rely on God to help me, because I can’t get through this testing all on my own.”
This second choice is the path Jesus chose—relying on the grace of God. He made it through the tests and trials of the tempter by being faithful to his true self. Jesus trusted that his true identity and value came not from his accomplishments, or possessions, or the attention he could attract—but from God alone.
The same is true for us. Every day there are voices that test us. Some of them we even invite into our lives, maybe through the screens we scroll through in our hands. Some voices, without stopping to consider the true needs of the person they are talking to, tell us to “do this” or “be that”, “have this” or “think that”. They tempt us to find our true identity outside of who God has made us to be—which is beloved children of God.
How do we make it through such testing? Even if you never step foot in the wilderness, you can still ask God to help you recognize your own limitations and vulnerabilities, and then ask God to help you not run from them but learn from them. God has great gifts of grace just waiting for you, when you acknowledge that you can’t get through your difficulties all on your own. Jesus knows what you’re going through because he’s been there himself. He has known the ultimate in limitations and vulnerability—not just from his 40 days in the wilderness, but especially from the cross. From the cross, Jesus pours out his compassion for you; therefore you can also be compassionate towards yourself, and from that gift of grace, you can be compassionate towards others. Amen.