Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18
Growing up in Baltimore there was a restaurant chain called the Double-T Diner. Started in the late 1950’, it’s been a local landmark and legend for as long as I can remember. It looks exactly what you’d expect a diner to look like. Shiney stainless steel exterior with a squeaky-clean interior.
When you walk in, you’re immediately met by a warm, smiling face that walks you to your table. The food is also exactly what you’d expect from a diner. Traditional American dishes fill the menu along with local Maryland seafood classics.
It’s called Double-T because it was founded by Thomas Doxanas and Tony Papadis. Without putting a lot of thought into it, you can easily see that they didn’t spend thousands of dollars to some marketing company to come up with the name.
So, it may not come as a surprise to you that God has his own Double-T. It’s not a diner, but it is an idea that opens its doors and welcomes us. It’s a classic truth that we’ve known for a long time. Maybe we haven’t gone in there for a while, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not any the less applicable to our lives. God’s Double-T Invites us to come in and set a spell.
God’s Double-T is temptation and testing. We don’t like to hear these words because all we can think about is pain. For some reason, thoughts of discomfort and irritation flood into our brain and emotions. But, if we think about it for a minute, we really do need temptation and testing. We even like them.
One side of temptation and testing that seems to grab our attention is the fact that it causes pain. There’s no temptation or testing without feeling its heat. The discomfort. The pressure. The aggravation of having to go through it.
But there’s another side to temptation and testing that has an altogether different idea behind it. There’s the kind that’s trying to do more than to destroy us. To do a whole lot more than trying to tear us down. More than to see us fail.
There’s a kind of temptation and testing that’s there to see who we are. What we’re made of. It’s not always asking us to do something evil. Sometimes temptation and testing are there to increase our strength and demonstrate that there’s a better way for all the world to see.
Here’s an example. For Christmas, I wanted to buy Mary Ann a piece of jewelry. When I walked into our local jeweler’s shop, I immediately saw exactly what I wanted. It was a gold necklace unlike anything I’d ever seen before. As the jeweler showed it to me, they explained that the unique color was because it was made of something called rose gold.
And as with anything gold, the question always comes up about the number of karats in it. Stamped onto the necklace was the number 18, which meant that it was ¾ gold and ¼ copper. The copper is what colored the gold so beautifully.
Now, my question is how do we know that it’s really 18 karat? Someone had to test the gold before they put that number on. That test, that temptation, is what proved to the whole world that it was genuine. That it was real. That it was valuable.
You see, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus. He was tempted. He was tested. And why? To show that he was the real deal. That he was genuine. That he was authentic. That he was and is just like you and me.
Jesus is God but he wasn’t above being tempted and tested. But why? The writer to the Hebrews explains it to us in words that everyone can understand. It’s so simple and practical that we can drink it in and let it refresh and revive us.
Jesus went through all his temptations and testing to show us that he’s able to help those who are being tempted. He wasn’t some spirit that can’t be toughed by the pains of this world. He’s not some teaching or idea that’s out there somewhere. No, he’s as real as the fingers on my hand that are typing these words.
When we go through temptation and testing, we can know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus knows what we’re going through. That he personally understands all our sorrows and griefs.
But more than just knowing, Jesus is a real person for us to draw strength from. He can encourage us because he’s gone through the same things. He’s been tempted and tested in all the ways that we have. There’s not a single thing that life or the enemy can throw at us that hasn’t already been thrown at Jesus.
We can run to him and he’s ready, willing, and able to stand with us. To put his arm around us. To give us encouragement. To give us strength. To give us hope. And why? Because he’s already experienced it. He’s already gone through it.
We need to picture Jesus as he really is. He’s always ready to hear our cries of pain. Our cries for help. But more than just hear, he runs to us. He brings us himself and his power. His comfort. His help. Isn’t that the kind of God we want and need?
Noodling Questions
Which of God’s double-T is more difficult for you? Explain.
Why don’t we enjoy the process of being tested to prove our value?
How can we turn our running to God into worship?
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