BULLETIN ARTICLE
2 February 2020
Yield Not To Temptation
What are you like when you are hungry and tired? We often get grouchy and just want to settle this pressing need first, deprioritizing everything else. Imagine that hunger and fatigue multiplied by forty-folds. That was likely how Jesus felt having fasted for 40 days and nights. He was hungry and low on energy (Matthew 4:2), yearning to satisfy that hunger ASAP. Enter the temptations from the devil…
First, the devil challenged Jesus to “tell these stones to become bread” since he is “the Son of God”. Jesus replied with Scripture, that “man shall not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). This was in reference to how God allowed the Israelites to hunger as they journeyed out of Egypt, in order to humble them and teach them to look to God to meet their daily needs. Even though Jesus is the Son of God and he could make bread from stones, he does not do so as he wants to look to God to satisfy his physical hunger. Often when we have pressing physical needs, we focus very much on how to win that bread (hence the term “breadwinner”) and turn away from God in the process. Instead of seeking God daily in reliance through prayer and reading of his word, we focus on “the bread”. Let us learn to lean on God daily in humble submission.
Next, the devil challenged Jesus saying “If you are the Son of God…throw yourself down” deviously quoting Scripture that God will send his angels to protect Jesus (Psalm 91:11). Jesus replied with Scripture (v7) that one should not “put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16). This commandment was given after Massah, where the Israelites grumbled against God as they were thirsty, testing God’s patience. Even though Jesus is the Son of God, he refuted the devil’s deceptive challenge by recognising he should not test God in this manner. When we’re hungry and tired, we tend to be lax in our words, actions and thoughts. Have we tested and provoked God with our responses? Let us consider how we may live to please him and not provoke him to anger.
In the devil’s last attempt, he tempted Jesus with the lure of power over all kingdoms (v8) if Jesus would “bow down and worship me” (v9). Jesus replied with Scripture that he should exclusively “worship the Lord your God and serve him only”, referencing Deuteronomy 6:13 where the Israelites were commanded to serve God only and not turn to idols. The devil’s proposition was an appealing shortcut to power for hungry and tired Jesus. But Jesus knew that Scripture is clear that one must exclusively worship God alone. When we’re hungry and tired, we tend to turn away from God and to idols. It could be idolising our own strength, our jobs, our families, our hobbies, etc, replacing God. Let us learn to worship God alone amidst temptations to do otherwise.
