The baptism of Jesus is one of those mountaintop experiences. No sooner does he come up from the water than the heavens break open, a dove descends, and the voice of God announces for all to hear, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” It is an event so spectacular that there were probably some in the crowd who wondered what God would do for an encore.
But rather than another high point, what we get instead is Jesus hitting rock bottom, because what follows his baptism is forty days and nights spent out in the wilderness, where there is no sign of God’s presence at all. No doves, no reassuring words from heaven—just Jesus, the loneliness of the desert, and eventually, a visit from Satan himself!
I’m inclined to believe that Satan showed up toward the end of those forty days, because he obviously knew better than to try and test Jesus while he was still fresh and well fed. The Tempter simply waited—watching from a distance—as God’s Beloved went from standing, to sitting, to crawling, until he was so weakened from hunger and thirst that he could barely move. And that is when Satan decided to make his move.
He begins by inviting Jesus to turn stones into bread … and then to prove God’s protective powers by leaping into midair … and finally to be given authority over all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for a little Satanic worship and adoration. But the important thing to notice about these temptations is that they are actually Satan’s way of hinting that Jesus deserves better treatment than this. After all, why should the Son of God be starving to death? Why should he so much as stub his toe, or be subject to Caesar’s rule when every knee, including Caesar’s, should be bowing down to him? “If God cannot do any better than this for a beloved son,” the Tempter subtly suggests, “then maybe Jesus should start shopping around for another father.”
In effect, this is a story about Jesus’ identity as God’s Son, but insofar as we are all children of God, it is also a story about our own identity. Let’s face it, there are plenty of times when we may be tempted to believe that we deserve better treatment. That devilish voice inside our heads starts whispering things like, “If you are really a child of God, shouldn’t things be going a little smoother for you? Shouldn’t you be happier, healthier, safer, more successful? Where are the supposed blessings that come with being a faithful Christian? If this is how God’s own children are cared for, then we may have a case of child neglect on our hands!”
More than likely, that voice will not come when you are in the midst of a mountaintop experience. However, it may come shortly thereafter, when you find yourself out in the wilderness, lost and alone, and struggling just to put one foot in front of the other.
But you know what you need to say at that point, right? “Away with you, Satan! I would rather be a hungry child of God than a well-fed guest at your table. Now shoo!”
If you can manage to say that, then chances are extremely good that before long you will hear another voice—a voice infinitely more reliable than the first. “This is my beloved child,” the voice will say, “in whom I am well pleased.”
But rather than another high point, what we get instead is Jesus hitting rock bottom, because what follows his baptism is forty days and nights spent out in the wilderness, where there is no sign of God’s presence at all. No doves, no reassuring words from heaven—just Jesus, the loneliness of the desert, and eventually, a visit from Satan himself!
I’m inclined to believe that Satan showed up toward the end of those forty days, because he obviously knew better than to try and test Jesus while he was still fresh and well fed. The Tempter simply waited—watching from a distance—as God’s Beloved went from standing, to sitting, to crawling, until he was so weakened from hunger and thirst that he could barely move. And that is when Satan decided to make his move.
He begins by inviting Jesus to turn stones into bread … and then to prove God’s protective powers by leaping into midair … and finally to be given authority over all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for a little Satanic worship and adoration. But the important thing to notice about these temptations is that they are actually Satan’s way of hinting that Jesus deserves better treatment than this. After all, why should the Son of God be starving to death? Why should he so much as stub his toe, or be subject to Caesar’s rule when every knee, including Caesar’s, should be bowing down to him? “If God cannot do any better than this for a beloved son,” the Tempter subtly suggests, “then maybe Jesus should start shopping around for another father.”
In effect, this is a story about Jesus’ identity as God’s Son, but insofar as we are all children of God, it is also a story about our own identity. Let’s face it, there are plenty of times when we may be tempted to believe that we deserve better treatment. That devilish voice inside our heads starts whispering things like, “If you are really a child of God, shouldn’t things be going a little smoother for you? Shouldn’t you be happier, healthier, safer, more successful? Where are the supposed blessings that come with being a faithful Christian? If this is how God’s own children are cared for, then we may have a case of child neglect on our hands!”
More than likely, that voice will not come when you are in the midst of a mountaintop experience. However, it may come shortly thereafter, when you find yourself out in the wilderness, lost and alone, and struggling just to put one foot in front of the other.
But you know what you need to say at that point, right? “Away with you, Satan! I would rather be a hungry child of God than a well-fed guest at your table. Now shoo!”
If you can manage to say that, then chances are extremely good that before long you will hear another voice—a voice infinitely more reliable than the first. “This is my beloved child,” the voice will say, “in whom I am well pleased.”
posted by Dr. Robert Crilley at
5:33 PM
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