February 10, 2013 Temptation

Matt 4  (All quotes paraphrased) Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to fast and be tempted.  Jesus has just been baptized which prompted his Father to violate all the protocols of being God and yell into the universe, “That is my boy!”.  As a reward, the Father sends Jesus into the desert to literally starve his flesh and then, at his weakest moment, to subject him to all the temptations which come with being a man, hand delivered by the most talented seducer and accuser of them all, who tries to destroy him and turn him away from obedience.  

The Devil first tempts Jesus to change stone into bread in order to take away the hunger pain.  Seems harmless, just a little God-magic trick to make things a little more pleasant while essentially obeying the Father.  Jesus however refuses, by proclaiming what the Devil already knows: Man's sustenance is dependent on God as much, or more than bread.  And to change something that God his father had clearly made a stone, into bread for his own gratification would violate true submission to his father's will (both for the stone and for him).  And the food of Jesus, as he declares at the well in John 5, is to do the will of his father.

The Devil then tempts him to seek a little thrill on his daddy's dime.  In a time without bungee jumping or motorcycle racing, thrills were harder to come by.  "Come on, you'll be juiced up with adrenaline, and you know God won't let you die!"  But again, Jesus refuses the temptation.  I was told to take this body from here to there, not to start drag racing olong the way. 

Lastly, the Devil makes a direct job offer, no more temptation, it's down to straight negotiation. "Your Father clearly doesn't have your best interest in mind here.  I'm willing to give you a bigger salary, and a title.  You want your name on the door?  You got it. . . "  

To this, Jesus says "That's enough.  I serve God, alone."

The scene closes when the angels come.  They must have been watching from behind the fence and cheering him on, imagine the excitement.  Jesus is their Champion, and they finally broke through to rush in and take care of Him after he survived the test.