Third Temptation: To Bow the Knee to Satan

Matthew 4: 8–11

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to him, ‘All these things will I give you, if you fall down and worship me.’

Matthew 4: 8–9

This is a temptation to side with the devil, to work with him –
not to make things too difficult for people; not to pitch the demands of living God’s way too high;
to turn a blind eye to evil and questionable things – Do it Satan’s way, not the way of the cross.
Jesus counters with strong words, again from Deuteronomy:
‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’
(Deuteronomy 6: 13). At a later date, he will be tempted again to take a short cut to avoid the cross,
this time by his friend and close disciple, Peter.
Having faced the same struggle with Satan in the desert,
he will recognise where Peter is coming from, and so his reply would be the same:
‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling- block to me;
for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ (Matthew 16: 23).
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the same struggle is going on-to opt out and avoid the cross.
‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me’ is his plea.
It is a real agonising struggle for him, but finally, after much anguish,
he wins through and is able to say, ‘Yet, not my will but yours be done.’ (Luke 22: 42).

At the end of the forty days of testing, Jesus is exhausted.
The devil leaves him (for a while) and angels come and minister to him.
What a welcome relief this must have been!
He is weary of the contest; his body is weak from the lack of food and possibly sleep,
and his mind has taken a battering.
His spirit is intact because he has remained true to His Father’s will.

For Jesus, the wilderness was a place of choices

Would he live for self, for popularity, for power, or possessions,
or would he determine to renounce all these and instead, set himself towards doing the will of God?
Jesus emerges with clarity of vision and a sure knowledge
of the manner in which his mission has to be accomplished,
and also with great awareness of the value of solitude,
out of which his ministry and decisions will flow.
Interestingly, towards the end of his life
and after facing tough opposition from the religious leaders,
in John 10: 40–42 Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had baptised him –
the place of affirmation from his Father – from there he set his face towards Jerusalem;
and began his last journey to Jericho and on to Jerusalem and Calvary.
It would have taken him through the Judean desert,
the same area where he spent those crucial forty days and nights.

For Reflection

Here are some words of Jesus or about Jesus. Read them slowly a few times.

Jesus said to them, ‘The Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.’

John 5: 19–20

‘I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.’

John 6: 38

Also:

‘My kingdom is not from this world.’

John 18: 36

During supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

John 13: 2–5

Source: Time for Reflection by Ann Persson

Let us pray:

We thank you Father, for those days in the desert when through prayer and fasting,
Jesus discovered your will for his life and overcame the temptations of the Evil One.
Help us during these days of Lent to come close to you and to listen to your voice.
Give us strength to overcome the temptation to please ourselves and live life without you.
Teach us your way, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen

From the Alternative Service Book 1980

Heavenly Father, during this Lenten season, open our eyes to you and your glory
as we journey towards Jesus’ Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection.
Help us to spend time in your Word, and to seek your divine wisdom
in order to deepen our knowledge. Please give us faith, hope and courage to face today in your care.
Help us to remember that no matter who or what we are,
or where we go, we are always in your presence.
Keep us safe from temptation,
and help us to be your hands and feet in reaching out to others in need of assistance.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.

Amen

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34: 19

Shall not we thy sorrow share,
and from earthly joys abstain,
fasting with unceasing prayer,
glad with thee to suffer pain.

And if Satan, vexing sore,
flesh or spirit should assail,
thou his Vanquisher before,
grant we may not faint or fail.

Francis Pott (1832–1909) and George H. Smyttan (1822–1870)

Glynne Gordon-Carter