The devil had given Jesus what looked like an awesome opportunity. What if someone offered you all the kingdoms of the world? You would have all the richness the world has to offer. You would command armies and cities. You could vacation anywhere in the world. The world would literally be at your disposal. Jesus had that offer made to Him.
What did Jesus choose? He chose to obey the Father; which by the way, meant in His humanity, that He would remain hungry for the time being.
Why did Jesus choose God’s way over the devil’s way? Obviously, to the untrained eye, the devil’s way looked pretty good. Jesus was hungry, had nothing to eat, and was in the desert, separated from mankind. The devil offered Him success, wealth, and all the fried chicken and chili He could ever eat!
Jesus picked God’s way, I must presume, because He knew it was the best choice! Think about it! Jesus had been to Heaven. That’s where He came from. He knew Heaven had far more to offer than all the kingdoms of this world. He knew that, even though the devil’s offer may have been attractive to some, Jesus was headed for something far greater.
Dear friends, that’s how we’ll face temptation in life. It’s not that what is offered to us isn’t good. It’s that what God is offering is so much better! God’s way, though it may not seem it at the time, is always best in the long run! (If only I could get my teenage son to understand that about what I ask him to do.)
We face temptation by choosing to worship God because He is the best One we can worship. He is worthy of all full respect and trust! Jesus knew that, and it helped Him face the temptations of life.
Help us to learn from watching you, Jesus!
