This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city,
— KJV, Matt 4:5-7
and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him,
If thou be the Son of God,
Cast thyself down:
for it is written,
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:
and in their hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him,
It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
We love to take the credit, but not the blame. Who is responsible for harvest if not the one that sowed the seed?
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We have explored one element of the meaning of this temptation in Part 1 of this essay.
Lucifer Makes A Good Point
We now turn to another element highlighted by Christ’s response.
Lucifer is correctly quoting scripture. And there is nothing objectionable in stating that the Almighty protects His own.
So what is wrong with Lucifer’s statements, such that they would qualify as temptations?
And, in addition, why should the scripture Lucifer quoted be outweighed by the one quoted by Christ?
Christ’s response prompts us towards a deeper interpretation of “tempting God”.
What Is “Tempting God”?
He appears to be making reference to Deuteronomy 6:16, which in turn refers to the Israelite’s conduct in Exodus 17, when they displayed doubt in God’s Protection early in their journey through the wilderness.
The Israelites had set out at God’s Command. But because their nature was still predominantly materialistic, they interpreted His Will through the lens of material comfort.
When they faced difficult earthly conditions in the wilderness of Massah, they questioned God’s Will. They used God’s Word (His instruction for them to leave Egypt) to justify self-serving demands. This is one aspect of “tempting God”.
We are to use God’s Word to shed light on our spiritual condition and improve our conduct. If we do this, we will become more spiritualized and less fixated on material comfort.
At the same time our material condition shall also gradually improve in the natural course of events (ref. “The Nature of God’s Laws”).
Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him
shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life.
— John 4:14
But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
— Matt 6:31-33
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As A Man Soweth…
Christ’s response highlights another element:
The Israelite’s decision to leave Egypt originated directly from the Will of the Almighty, notwithstanding their later failures.
Lucifer’s suggestion involved Christ making a decision that did not originate from God, and only afterwards relying on His Almighty Father to ensure His success.
We are to study and understand God’s Will before we take an action i.e. in following Christ’s example, our actions must be aligned with Divine Law:
My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me,
and to finish His Work.
— John 4:34
Acting without reference to God’s Will (as expressed in His Perfect Laws), and then expecting His support when we run into problems, is also tempting God.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God…
“In accordance with God’s Will” means in a spirit of selfless love and trust in His Laws (ref. “‘The Law’ vs Divine Law”).
In this light most of what we call “prayers” are demands, and they border on tempting God.
We pray for success in our activities but only a few of these were stimulated by a spirit of selfless love. They are mostly our own self-serving ideas, based on earthly observations and directed at material goals.
We should refer to God’s Will before we act, and having acted in accordance with His Laws, we should work to the end without expressing any doubts.
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall seek to enthrone selfless love in our hearts, so that we can confidently seek God’s Will before we act and adhere to it even in the face of difficulties.
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