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Humanity. A label that shows we are breathing, living, walking around and thinking. So different from any other thing on the planet. Distortions are so common in the human being. We say one thing, and do another. We set ourselves up to succeed, and then pride gets the better of us and we fall. I enjoy being human, but it's so complicated sometimes. Usually people don't pause to think about their humanity, unless they're in a dire situation or life and death scenario (thankfully, I am in neither!). But, I just couldn't help thinking about being human last Saturday night at a church service. The pastor, who is a brilliant speaker, merely brought up a verse reference to make a point in his sermon, but I will admit my brain froze for a few minutes on the thoughts behind the verse that he brought up. Then when it started back up again, I thought: Blog material!
Matthew 4:1-11. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. I've read this part many times throughout the years, but for some reason I just never equated it with being human. I really don't know how I could have missed it. Take a look:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
I used to read this and think: "What an evil, crummy thing for the devil to do to Jesus! Didn't he know that Jesus could blow him to smithereens without even the fraction bit of effort? Why did God allow this? Strange." But here's what I realized: Jesus was God in the form of man. He came to earth, as we all know, as a little helpless baby and took on flesh, just like the rest of us. Hmm. Just like the rest of us. Yes, Jesus worked miracles and could probably wipe everyone off the earth with a snap of His fingers, but he didn't. It's hard to explain. He was God, and yet, he was in a man's, a human being's, body. Ten fingers and ten toes, muscles, skin, able to bleed. Satan seriously will stop at nothing. Satan knows who Jesus is. He even knows that he could never succeed at tempting God in any form or fashion. Ever. But... God is now... in the flesh. He has a human body. One that can be starved, beaten, bruised, hurt. He even has a brain. One that can reason, think, and use to communicate. Satan tries to get at the humanity side of Jesus. The flesh.
Without Jesus being in a body that can live, die, or be resurrected, we know that He could have never sacrificed His life for our sins. It wouldn't have been a sacrifice if Jesus wasn't human, just like the rest of us. I don't know if Satan thought that maybe he could somehow sway Jesus' flesh side. Not the God side, which was all splendor and glory, blameless, but the flesh impulses of a normal human being. After all, he was used to dealing with tempting humans in their flesh all the time. Would it work with Jesus? I wonder if both sides held their breaths, waiting to see what Jesus would do. Could his body stand it? He was perfect, right? He wouldn't cave! He couldn't!
We know Satan didn't succeed, even in the slightest. But he still tries with us mere, flesh and bone humans. Sometimes I'm sure it seems like we're being tempted daily. All too often I see the struggles outlined in this passage coming to light in my life. Satan waited for Jesus to be hungry, having not eaten anything for 40 days. That's about as long as a human body can go without food before it starts shutting down. Then he said "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Which, he could have done. He created stones out of nothing in the first place! Bread would have been easy. He could have had a whole banquet. 40 days is a long time! And again he tempted Jesus by taunting Him, telling him to throw himself off the highest point of the temple, because, obviously he would be saved. He was Jesus. I love the comebacks Jesus had! He used scripture every time. Scripture is what a human being, made of flesh, can use in any and every situation when they feel threatened by Satan. Jesus had otherwordly power, so much so that it's just mind blowing. But He didn't use it. He used a book man used-- the Bible. Very interesting.
My favorite part by far is when Satan says: "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." HA! How preposterous, right?! Satan, GIVE something to God that He already owned? Ridiculous. Why would Satan even say that if he knew Jesus had the whole world anyway? There's a lot that could be said about Satan and non-believers and the morality of it all... but I think, in the end, that this part of Matthew 4 can ultimately reassure you that, despite what Satan tries to tell you, or how much he tries to convince you that he owns everything and makes the world turn-- he doesn't. God does. And in the end, God wins anyway. When life is hard, Satan will try to get you down. To believe that he is the one pulling the strings on your life. That if you only bow down and worship him, he would take care of all your problems. Friends, don't be deceived. Jesus has been tempted and passed through it. So will you.
