The Way of Trust
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’
Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone.”’
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.’
Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”’
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
‘“He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’Jesus answered, ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:1–13 (NIV)
This Lent, we will be walking the Way of the Cross. We will follow Jesus’ journey to the cross and reflect on what it really means to follow Him, focussing on a different aspect of that Way of the Cross each of the five Sundays during Lent. We begin the journey with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4. Through being tempted as we are, yet without sin, Jesus shows us The Way of Trust.
Life is full of moments that call for trust—when we step into something new, face uncertainty, or endure hardship. Today, as we begin our Lenten journey, we witness a father and son being baptised—baptism itself is an act of trust in God’s promises.
Lent is a season of following Jesus on The Way of the Cross. His path was not one of ease or comfort but of faithfulness and obedience to the Father’s will. In Luke 4, we journey with Jesus in the wilderness, tempted by the devil yet unwavering in trust. Jesus doesn’t rely on his own strength, but stands firm on God’s Word even as Satan tries to use it against Him.
As we walk the way of trust, we are reminded that our strength is not in ourselves, but in the One who has already overcome temptation and more for us. We see this trust in three ways today:
Trusting God’s Word, not our feelings
Trusting God’s plan, not shortcuts
Trusting God’s protection, not testing Him
This is the Way of Trust, and it is the way in which we are called to follow Christ.
1. Trusting God’s Word, Not Our Feelings
Imagine you haven’t eaten all day. Your stomach growls, you might have a headache, you’re probably horrible to be around, and all you can think about is food. Hunger is so powerful—it clouds our judgment and makes everything else seem less important. I can’t even imagine forty days without food. That’s exactly where we find Jesus in the wilderness, exhausted and starving. The devil comes to tempt Jesus right when He is physically vulnerable: “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread,” he says (Luke 4:3).
But the real temptation isn’t about food; it’s about trust. Will Jesus rely on his Father’s provision, or will he take matters into his own hands? Jesus responds, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4) He stands on God’s Word, not on his hunger, his feelings, or his circumstances.
Satan comes to tempt us in the same way, often when we are at our most vulnerable, whether that be physically, emotionally, or spiritually. When life is difficult, we are tempted to trust what feels right in the moment rather than what God has said. We chase comfort, security, or approval, even when it leads us away from His will.
Worrying instead of praying
Acting before we have asked for the Spirit’s guidance
Trying to earn God’s love instead of resting in His grace
Seeking safety in our money, home, or possessions instead of God’s provision
Looking for approval from people around us instead of gratefully receiving God’s approval
Carrying burdens alone instead of placing them into God’s hands
Letting culture define truth instead of the Word
God’s Word is our true food. Jesus shows us what that really means—for Him, it meant resisting the temptation to feed Himself.
So, how can we make sure we return to the Word of God as our true food? We witnessed a great example of how to do this today. In baptism, we don’t rely on our feelings to tell us whether we belong to God. We simply trust His promise: “He who believes and is baptised will be saved…” (Mk. 16:16a).
As we walk The Way of Trust, we are called to hold fast to the Word, even when our hearts, our circumstances, or even our stomachs cry out for us to trust anything else.
2. Trusting God’s Plan, Not Shortcuts
We live in a world of shortcuts. You might be the kind of person that prefers back roads over main roads to shave 1 or 2 minutes off a trip. Aside from that, we have fast food, express shipping, instant answers at the tap of a screen—we only have to wait when the one serving us has failed in some way.
But some things can’t be rushed. For some things, there are no shortcuts. A farmer can’t force a crop to grow overnight. A parent can’t speed up a child’s maturity. Some things take time—God’s plan for our lives is one of them.
In the wilderness, the devil offers Jesus a shortcut: “I will give you all the authority and splendour of the kingdoms of the world… if you worship me.” (Luke 4:6-7). Jesus came into the world as Lord and King, but the Father’s plan led through suffering and the cross. The devil’s way avoided all of that—power without pain, glory without the cross. But Jesus refused: “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (Luke 4:8). Taking the shortcut would have violated God’s Word, so He resists.
We are constantly tempted to take the easy way instead of God’s way. We cut corners at work or at school, we avoid hard conversations. Parents would love a quick fix for their children’s struggles rather than patiently trusting in God’s work in their lives. We seek immediate happiness rather than lasting holiness.
Baptism is certainly no shortcut to an easy life. All the baptised people of God face trials, just as Jesus did. But we can trust that God’s way, though sometimes difficult, is always good for us. The way of trust means following him, even when the road is longer than we think it needs to be.
3. Trusting God’s Protection, Not Testing Him
Have you ever prayed, “God, if you’re really there, give me a sign”? There is a difference between trusting God and demanding that He prove Himself on our terms. Sometimes, all we want is proof, but God tends not to give us that luxury—He wants your heart. He wants you to trust.
In the wilderness, the devil tempts Jesus to test God’s protection: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you.’” (Luke 4:9-10). The devil even quotes Scripture, twisting God’s promise into a challenge: “Make God prove He’ll catch you.” But Jesus refuses: “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12). True trust doesn’t demand signs—it rests in God’s faithfulness. We can try to force God’s hand like Satan did, but it’s not possible.
We face the same temptation when we try to make deals with God: “God, if you love me, you’ll fix this now” or “If you’re real, take away my struggles.” But faith doesn’t mean God removes every hardship; it means we trust Him through it.
This temptation often finds its way into the life of the church. We think that if our congregation is truly faithful, we won’t struggle—our pews will be full, our programs will flourish, and everything will run smoothly. We can view baptism as a guarantee of blessing rather than the beginning of a lifelong walk of trust. We can treat confirmation as a “graduation”, the completion of a journey, rather than a commitment to trust in God more and more. We can test God by coming to worship services looking to “feel” God’s presence, as if God being here depends on our emotions rather than His promises.
But The Way of Trust is not about demanding signs of success, certainty, or strength. It’s about walking by faith when the road is difficult, knowing that God is at work through His Word, His Sacraments, and His people. We don’t gather to test God, but to be shaped by Him—to learn, to grow, and to trust Him more deeply.
Conclusion
Jesus walked The Way of Trust, standing firm on God’s Word, following God’s plan, and resting in God’s protection—without demanding proof or taking shortcuts. In the wilderness, He trusted where Adam and Israel failed, and where we so often fail, too. Yet His victory is not just an example for us; it is a gift to us. Because He overcame temptation, we have hope when we fall. Because He trusted perfectly, we can walk in faith, even when our own trust wavers.
The life of faith, begun in baptism, is not about testing God, taking shortcuts, or relying on our own strength. It is about walking forward, step by step, trusting that He will lead us, provide for us, and protect us.
As we continue through this Lenten season, we follow The Way of the Cross, the way of trust. It is not always easy, but we do not walk it alone. Christ has gone before us, and He walks with us still.
As you walk The Way of the Cross each day, may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
