Temptation in the Desert - Part 3
10th March 2012
The third temptation Jesus suffered in the desert was this:
Matthew 4v8-9
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendour.
"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
This seems a very strange thing for Satan to say to Jesus; Jesus already owned all the kingdoms of this world, and He always will, because He is God. He created the universe, and He keeps it going:
Colossians 1:16-17
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Matthew 4v8-9
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by
his powerful word.
But Jesus was also a man, and He was hungry and lonely, and the idea that he could have everything He desired so easily would have affected Him, as it would affect us.
And we, His followers, experience temptation that is more similar than we might realise. We have been promised that:
Matthew 5v5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
In order to inherit everything, we have only to submit to God.
The big question is: do we really believe that?
Perhaps, like me, you find it easier to hold on to God's promises when life seems to be going well? And perhaps, like me, there are times when you feel so far away from God that none of God's promises seems to mean very much at all? When we're in the desert, it can be hard to believe that we will inherit the earth. Fortunately, the fulfilment of God's promises doesn't rely on our feelings, but on His faithfulness.
Satan was asking Jesus to worship him, which really was a bit desperate. But Satan invites us, the followers of Jesus, to do things his way and not God's way. He says to us, "Just do this sin, and your problems will be solved", "Just do that sin, and you can have the desire of your heart", asking us to take control of our lives and our futures back into our own hands, and so to stop following Jesus and obeying God. And many Christians fall into the trap, forgetting that our heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us, and has planned out our lives, both on earth and in eternity, and that any deviation from God's plan for us MUST make our lives worse, not better.
Obedience must be more blessed than disobedience
Do you believe that?
Matthew 4v10
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Jesus always put God first, and so should we. Jesus understood that God is trustworthy, and He remembered this even when under the most severe trial. I pray that we will remember, too.
Matthew 4v11
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
The time of trial does end. Often, we don't know when it will end. Sometimes we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes "the valley of the shadow of death" seems very deep. It's then that we have to use the faith God has given us, and keep trusting the One who knows the future, because He has planned it.
And the day will come when God sends His angels to you, to minister to your needs. After all, dear brother or sister, you are precious in His sight.