If
Read Luke 4.
If.
It's a short little word that can cause a lot of havoc. In this early part of Jesus' ministry, it's a word that is intended to cause doubt. Did Satan really think Jesus didn't know who he was? Did Satan believe he could cause Jesus to doubt who he was?
The wilderness where Jesus was driven after his baptism is harsh. I've been there three times in the summer (twice in June, once in August) and the heat is intense. It's brutal. ("But it's a DRY heat!" Yeah, well, it's still horribly hot.) If hell is anything like that wilderness, it's not somewhere I want to go! One summer when we were in Jericho, it was 136 degrees in the shade. That kind of heat will alter your thinking, your actions, your very being. So it's no mistake that Satan takes advantage of Jesus' physical state and tries to sow doubt.
If...
If you are the Son of God...
Three times, Satan attacks Jesus self-identity. He pretends to not be sure himself. "If..." Come on, Jesus, prove it to me. Show me who you are, once and for all. Do this, do that, do what I demand! Then I will believe in you! But I can't until you do what I demand...
Two things to notice in this chapter. First of all, Satan is lying. (Imagine that, the "father of lies" is lying.) We know this for sure because, just down the page in this chapter, Satan's demons clearly know who Jesus is. In verse 34, a demon who is being cast out says, "I know who you are—the Holy One of God." And in verse 41, when Jesus is casting out demons in Capernaum, they try to proclaim him as "the Son of God," but he won't let them. If the demons know who Jesus is, then their boss does, too. Satan's "if" is a lie. His "if" is a threat.
The second thing I notice is harder to swallow. When we demand that Jesus do what we want, when we tell Jesus how things need to happen, how different are we from what Satan in the wilderness? He's demanding, directing, trying to steer things his way, seeking to take Jesus off course. Because of who he is, Satan does not trust Jesus to do what is best. Well, of course, we say—he's Satan. But often, we seek to do the same thing with our prayers. "Here is my concern, Jesus, and here is how you should fix it. Here is what I think you should do about it..." Or we pray things like, "If you really are God, then you can do this, so prove it to me by doing it..." Are we "tempting" Jesus in the wilderness once again? Does Jesus need my advice, my guidance—or can I trust him to be who he is, the one and only Son of God?
I want to change the "if" in my prayers to "because." No more "if you are the Son of God." How much better to pray "because you are the Son of God..." Because Jesus is the Son of God, I can trust him to do what is best and to lead me into what is highest.
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| Judean wilderness (author's photo) |
It's a short little word that can cause a lot of havoc. In this early part of Jesus' ministry, it's a word that is intended to cause doubt. Did Satan really think Jesus didn't know who he was? Did Satan believe he could cause Jesus to doubt who he was?
The wilderness where Jesus was driven after his baptism is harsh. I've been there three times in the summer (twice in June, once in August) and the heat is intense. It's brutal. ("But it's a DRY heat!" Yeah, well, it's still horribly hot.) If hell is anything like that wilderness, it's not somewhere I want to go! One summer when we were in Jericho, it was 136 degrees in the shade. That kind of heat will alter your thinking, your actions, your very being. So it's no mistake that Satan takes advantage of Jesus' physical state and tries to sow doubt.
If...
If you are the Son of God...
Three times, Satan attacks Jesus self-identity. He pretends to not be sure himself. "If..." Come on, Jesus, prove it to me. Show me who you are, once and for all. Do this, do that, do what I demand! Then I will believe in you! But I can't until you do what I demand...
Two things to notice in this chapter. First of all, Satan is lying. (Imagine that, the "father of lies" is lying.) We know this for sure because, just down the page in this chapter, Satan's demons clearly know who Jesus is. In verse 34, a demon who is being cast out says, "I know who you are—the Holy One of God." And in verse 41, when Jesus is casting out demons in Capernaum, they try to proclaim him as "the Son of God," but he won't let them. If the demons know who Jesus is, then their boss does, too. Satan's "if" is a lie. His "if" is a threat.
The second thing I notice is harder to swallow. When we demand that Jesus do what we want, when we tell Jesus how things need to happen, how different are we from what Satan in the wilderness? He's demanding, directing, trying to steer things his way, seeking to take Jesus off course. Because of who he is, Satan does not trust Jesus to do what is best. Well, of course, we say—he's Satan. But often, we seek to do the same thing with our prayers. "Here is my concern, Jesus, and here is how you should fix it. Here is what I think you should do about it..." Or we pray things like, "If you really are God, then you can do this, so prove it to me by doing it..." Are we "tempting" Jesus in the wilderness once again? Does Jesus need my advice, my guidance—or can I trust him to be who he is, the one and only Son of God?
I want to change the "if" in my prayers to "because." No more "if you are the Son of God." How much better to pray "because you are the Son of God..." Because Jesus is the Son of God, I can trust him to do what is best and to lead me into what is highest.
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