The Divine Universe

Even for those who possess that cosmic optimism that emerges as religious belief, it is necessary to recognise that there are hazards in the way. There are con artists and false signposts that will leave you stranded far away from the happiness you believe can be yours. There’s a story in two of the gospels, Matthew and Luke, which offers great insight into the traps that await the unwary.

Things really begin with Jesus’ baptism by John, first described by Mark. On that occasion God spoke to Jesus saying, “You are my Son, my beloved one.” That is a way of saying, “You are the Messiah.” No doubt Jesus was thrilled by this divine confirmation of what John and others had been suggesting for some time, but he wisely took time out to think about this stupendous vocation.

The description of the mental struggle Jesus went through is very like a parable. It looks as though Jesus intended it to be a teaching story and he has carefully crafted it accordingly. There are several lessons to be learned.

One of the first things I notice is Satan quoting from the Bible. I am often struck by how the Bible can be used to promote hatred, intolerance, injustice, war and violence, or to intimidate and manipulate the ignorant, credulous and vulnerable. The Bible was used to promote slavery in the 19th century and is still used as an excuse for anti-Semitism, homophobia, racism, male chauvinism, unjust discrimination and religious intolerance. Jesus quoted Scripture, but most often it was to challenge religious leaders about their misunderstanding and abuse of it. Sometimes he overruled it altogether. I have to say, the Bible is not always the source of all truth; it can be made the source of very serious error.

Jesus’ temptations were related to his realization that he was the Messiah. It was a particular crisis in his own personal life. We are tempted differently, less dramatically, by common life situations. But Jesus’ three temptations are archetypal. That is to say, each stands for a whole range of temptations, and they identify areas in which we are all vulnerable.

I wonder if you noticed that there is one thing in common with all three temptations. They are all about taking short cuts, and we all love a short cut when we spot it.

“Command that these stones be made bread.” Jesus enjoyed a good feed as much as anyone. In fact he was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. But, even now, when he was really hungry, he knew he was not into magic. In fact, there’s no such thing as magic. Satan is the ultimate liar. Magic, if it existed, would be the ultimate short cut to get what you want. A lot of people in Jesus’ time, and some even today, think there really is such a thing as magic, or even think Jesus could do it. Jesus simply pointed out that Satan had his priorities all wrong. In any case, God doesn’t work that way, and nor would he.

Next, Satan showed Jesus all the wealth of the world: “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. 
All this will be yours, if you worship me.” He offered Jesus another short cut, but again it was a thumping lie. The only wealth and power Satan had was what he had accrued by fraud and trickery. If Jesus was Messiah he was destined to rule the world. Even to become the President of the United States requires many millions of dollars and enormous influence in high places. Satan’s misappropriated wealth and power could be a great help. But Jesus believed God had a better way than spending megabucks and patrolling the corridors of power. Today, it still seems that he made a terrible choice from his own point of view. It needs a lot of explaining.

In my eighties, I am a bit past climbing church towers, but Jesus had got himself to the highest point of the Jerusalem temple, so he must have left the desert. Satan saw an opportunity. “If you are the Messiah, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you;
and
with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (Ps 91) His underlying argument was that, if you’re going to get on, you’ve got to impress people. Here’s a quick way to do this where it counts, here in Jerusalem. Everyone loves a spectacular stunt. You’ll be an instant celebrity.

Of course it’s all lies again. If people take insane risks God may be horrified, but he won’t interfere with our freedom. It’s up to us what we do with our lives. Some people seek thrills. Jumping off tall buildings is a sure way to get that charge of adrenaline they are addicted to. Sometimes stunts have a more practical benefit – if we bring them off, we could get fabulous sponsorship fees from advertisers. You and I will probably have more common temptations – a lie perhaps. If you can get away with it, it will give you an advantage. There is a risk, but it’s worth it. And, if you get found out, you can always say you were misinformed (as our illustrious leaders tend to do).

I’m not saying you shouldn’t take risks. Almost everything worthwhile involves risk and danger; so by all means be courageous. But be critical, be prudent; above all be patient. Ask yourself, is this particular goal worth this particular risk?

Does any of this ring any bells with you? It certainly does with me. I often find myself thinking of a short cut to something I want: probably something quite trivial. The trick may be risky, it may be stupid or it may be downright immoral. These situations happen all the time in ordinary lives like ours.

I don’t know where the suggestions come from: Satan perhaps, or simply our endemic self-centeredness. But we’ve got to be watchful. Like the Psalmist said: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” And I like to think of those guardian angels Satan referred to, not to perform magical rescue operations, but warning us of danger. Satan and angels are mythical beings, but they stand for very real experiences in our lives - experiences of being human.