Teaching Summary: Human-sized, Like Jesus

Teaching Text: Matthew 4:1-11 

Maintaining a human-sized presence throughout the day is challenging. We face constant temptation to power-up and become God-sized.

Being human-sized means living, serving, and relating to God, ourselves, and others from a grounded and connected place. Our goal should be to remain present, non-anxious, and connected to God, ourselves, and others. This is crucial for aligning ourselves with the Spirit and being attuned to God’s actions within us and around us.

Jesus exemplified staying human-sized.

Despite his divine nature, Jesus intentionally chose to remain human-sized to demonstrate how to live non-anxious, Spirit-filled lives. What does Jesus teach us about maintaining our human size as we follow him and connect with God? After his baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for preparation and empowerment, where he famously faced temptation.

We can observe Jesus’s three wilderness temptations and learn about staying present to what he does around us by staying human-sized.

The first temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness was the temptation of self-sufficiency.

In the world, our capacity, competence, and self-sufficiency are highly valued. Many derive our worth and identity from our accomplishments and excellence. However, in the Kingdom of God, self-sufficiency holds little significance.

Jesus didn’t come with self-sufficiency. He entered the world vulnerable. God’s love is revealed through self-giving love, not self-sufficiency. This is what we’re called to offer God and each other—this love.

The instinct to hide our incompetence and appear self-sufficient causes much of our anxiety. But there’s another way. Jesus’s first temptation was to be self-sufficient. He was hungry and the tempter said, “You hungry? Turn these stones into bread.” Though Jesus could have done it, he resisted.

Jesus knew of something greater than self-sufficiency—God-dependency. What truly gives and sustains life is not having every need met but depending on God.

Don’t succumb to the temptation to become bigger. Stay human-sized. Instead of powering up to meet your own needs, receive the life-giving word God has for you. Resist the temptation of self-sufficiency.

Jesus faced a second temptation in the wilderness: the temptation to be spectacular.

Consider the pressure to appear extraordinary in your career, parenting, or faith. Many wonderful people feel immense pressure to always have a compelling story, perfect photo, or outstanding achievement to validate their worth.

While we admire Jesus’s miracles and characterize his life as spectacular, we miss the fact that most of his life was ordinary.

The first thirty years of his life were hidden. Outside of notable stories (his birth and his visit to the temple at twelve), he lived in Nazareth, a insignificant town. He worked as a carpenter and stoneworker, earning a living with his hands, like anyone else. Most of his life was spent in manual labor, not performing miracles. He became hungry and thirsty and sought water at a well. Exhausted from crowds, he fell asleep in boats. He relied on friends like Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and women who traveled with him and provided for him. He traveled without a chariot or entourage, his feet dusty from long journeys. Most of his life was spent in obscurity. Until 30, he was simply, Mary’s son, a carpenter. He performed no miracles, delivered no sermons, or attracted crowds. He was a normal man from a small village.

Life in the Kingdom of God doesn’t demand spectacle.

Jesus never asks us to be special. He just wants us to be faithful.

Being faithful is an appropriately human-sized task.

Remind yourself of this truth by repeating John the Baptist’s powerful message: “I am not the Christ.”

The third temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness was the temptation to be superior—powerful.

Throughout history, Christians have succumbed to the temptation of power, leading many to abandon the church. We view power positively when used to benefit others and expand the Kingdom of God. However, this is the same rationale employed for the crusades, inquisitions, and the enslavement of Native Americans.

Why are followers of a humble and powerless teacher consumed by the desire for power? Because power is an easy substitute for the hard work of love.

It’s easier to be God, control people, and own life than to love God, people, and life.

You may think, “Power? I wish I had some.”

You do. Power is control.

Most people feel the urge to control complex situations, emotions, or others’ minds. Control is a primary way to gain size, especially under stress. Like any action that changes our size, powering up loses connection.

We lose connection with those we attempt to control.

We lose connection with ourselves, acting and speaking beyond our control.

We lose connection with God, unable to hear or understand the Spirit’s presence.

Attempting to control situations or people through words or actions takes God’s place. Control feels like a real human need, but it’s false. We don’t need control. God is in control.

When we dominate situations or people through power, we tempt ourselves to be God or take God’s place. That’s idolatry. Jesus reminds us to worship the Lord and serve him only.

The daily temptation to be sufficient, spectacular, and superior presents us with two choices: to strive for greatness and become God-sized, or to remain human-sized, like Jesus, by trusting in God. 

When tempted to be self-sufficient, we can resist by seeking God’s life-giving word. 

When tempted to be spectacular, we can remember we’re not Christ and return to simplicity through faithfulness. 

When tempted to be superior, we can confess we’re not God and release the need to control, trusting God will take care of us.