A Few Guidelines From the Three Temptations
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2009
by Swapna Nanda
Life is for once, though some percentage of people of the world believe that they will be reborn again in the birth cycle. The fact is, we live for once in this world and it depends on our choice here, where and how we will live in eternity.
Therefore, our existence is of vital importance in this world and how we live and spend it is also very crucial. There are many elements that can blur us, lead us astray, misguide us, and disqualify us in lifes journey. With all these disaster lurking around, ready to manipulate and defeat us, it is all the more urgent to try and follow the foot steps of a person who has never failed and is the unbeaten Man in all areas of life. He never taught which He never practiced. He not only showed the way but Himself went on that Way. Many of you must have recognized who I am writing about. He is non other than Jesus Christ. He is the most controversial figure in my part of the globe. But I dare to be His fan and follower.
In the Gospels we come across His encounter with the Devil and how he responded to it.
The devil tested Jesus with three kinds of allurements. In all the three statements, I see devils scheming strategy to disqualify Lord Jesus from His mission and thus foil Gods plan of redemption.
1. Firstly, the devil came to Jesus and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,
The Devil perhaps tried to provoke Lord Jesus into self-indulgence. He starts his every sentence with a challenge- If you are the Son of God. Any foolish, shortsighted human would immediately jump into action to prove his/her designation and manifest his/her power. Jesus was very sure about Himself and so He did not immediately jumped to Satans provocation.
In later phase, Lord Jesus went into feed thousands with earthly food from just five loaves. So was it hard for Him here? No. But Lord Jesus clearly knew His top priority. He was here to fulfill His Fathers mission and so He did not allow self-indulgence to do something for His own self. Satan knew He was hungry from fasting and a hungry man is always vulnerable. Satan wanted to exploit this vulnerability. Many a times the devil takes chance to defeat and strangle us when we are vulnerable. He enjoys to see us in vulnerable situation and make us fall. Lets take lesson from Lord Jesus and learn to keep our head in even vulnerable situation. Let us depend on the Word to rescue us from such vulnerabilities.
2. Secondly, Satan took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. He lay another trap, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
According to Jesus answer, truly Satan was trying to test Jesus for the second time. He wanted to provoke Lord Jesus to use His divine authority and do something spectacular for Himself through His supernatural power. Whereas, that was exactly opposite what Jesus was set to do. From the very beginning, He came into the world in humble surroundings and in obscurity. Though being the King of Kings he avoided being crowned as an earthly king. In every instance we never once see Jesus grabbing opportunities to justify and glorify Himself. He was always glorifying and exalting His Father. When He performed miracles it was to increase our faith and also to manifest Gods power. But here, Satan wanted Lord Jesus to loose His conscience. As feeble humans, we often fall in to this trap. We often like to misuse the given authority in order to draw applause and limelight for ourselves instead of glorifying the One who is in us. We often forget that we are mere instruments and behave as though we are SOMBODY whereas our identity is only because of Him.
3. Thirdly, and finally, Satan took Jesus to a very high place and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. All this I will give you, he said If you will bow down and worship me. What impudence! Perhaps devil was aware that after all, Jesus was going to be glorified and lifted up by the Father. So here he was availing all of it in a sweet and smooth way for Jesus to receive it and miss the mark. If Lord Jesus would have settled for this short cut avoiding the cross and the ruthless death, then His mission of Salvation and atonement would have failed then and there. Jesus was very focused on His errand on earth; therefore He never missed the mark. He never took short cuts nor tried for a less painful, less hostile, and lesser punishment on the cross. Stan wanted Jesus to by pass the Cross and thus he would have won. But Jesus the Wise One knew all the deceptions of the devil and never never gave in to sinfulness. And SO He accomplished His work on earth and today, in spite of many persecutions, controversies regarding His Birth, Life and Death, He still draws millions to Himself and His Word still remains the best selling literature.
In our lifes journey too, there are many circumstances where we are tempted to do things for our own gain, do spectacular things and become a hero in peoples eyes thus glorifying ourselves and thirdly we never hesitate to take short cuts in stead of the way of the cross.
It is my earnest desire to do away with all the vain things that charm me most and live life following HIS Foot Steps that never faltered. More like the Master I would rather be. This is my prayer for all of us who are trying to walk in His foot steps.
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