Luke 4:8-12: a reflection

8Jesus answered him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” 9He led him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, 10for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ 11and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’” 12Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

In the wilderness temptations, the devil offers Jesus shortcuts, the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, and a dramatic sign, throwing himself from the temple to be caught by angels. To each, Jesus answers with the word of God. To the offer of the world, he replies, You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only; there is no crown of the world worth a divided allegiance. And to the tempting invitation to force God's hand with a spectacular test, he answers, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

Notice both Jesus' weapon and his answers. His weapon against temptation is the word of God, It is written, met to each enticement not with argument or willpower alone but with Scripture. And notice the two truths he holds fast: worship and serve God alone, refusing the divided heart the tempter offered, and do not put God to the test, refusing to presume upon God by demanding he prove himself. Undivided allegiance, and humble trust rather than presumption.

Both speak to our own temptations. We are constantly offered shortcuts that ask, in effect, for a bit of our allegiance, a compromise here, a divided loyalty there, in exchange for some gain; and Jesus' answer is ours: worship and serve God only, refusing the divided heart. And we are tempted at times to test God, to presume on him, to demand he prove himself on our terms; and Jesus' answer holds: do not put God to the test, but trust him humbly instead. Meet your temptations as Jesus did, with the word of God, holding fast to undivided worship of God and humble trust in him. Serve him only, and do not put him to the test.

Lord Jesus, in the wilderness you met each temptation with the word of God, refusing the world's shortcut with worship and serving God only, and refusing to put God to the test. Teach me to meet my own temptations as you did. Give me your weapon, the word of God, against every enticement. Help me hold fast to undivided worship of you, refusing the compromises and divided loyalties the tempter offers in exchange for some gain. And keep me from presuming upon God, demanding he prove himself on my terms; help me trust him humbly instead. Let me worship and serve God only, and never put him to the test. Make your word my defense.