Thursday, October 01, 2009

The Ups & Downs of Temptation

Interview with David Walliams in The Times Magazine (26/9/09).

“Low self-esteem,” he goes on, “draws you to something like performing. I remember reading a book about Robbie Williams, it said, ‘He’s got low self-esteem but a big ego’. That’s probably what most performers have got. Otherwise you wouldn’t look to this external thing to make you happy.”

The Lord has really been opening up the first chapters of Luke to me of late. In ch.4 we have recorded the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. In the second temptation Satan offers Jesus not, as I always thought, all the kingdoms of the world – but ‘all their authority and splendour’ (v6). Interesting. The devil has been given ownership of their ‘authority and splendour’ – and he can give those things to whoever he wants (v6). It should, at the very least, make us revisit our amibitions in life – whether personal, business or Christian. We are so easily dazzled by the bright lights of ‘success’ – ‘it must be ok or the Lord wouldn’t be blessing it’, we say. But who is ‘blessing’ the cults, pagan religion, Hugh Heffner, Saudi Arabia….etc – with their manifestations of ‘authority and splendour’? The devil wants to give us ‘authority and splendour’ – but beware of his terms & conditions (v7).

Finally, at the end of the temptations we read that the devil left Jesus ‘until an opportune time’ (v13). As I thought about what those ‘opportune’ times were, two immediately came to mind. Firstly, on the eve of Calvary – Jesus said, ‘the prince of this world is coming’ (Jn 14:30). At the point of greatest stress, in the face of inescapable suffering– the devil makes a move on Jesus – but, praise His name, ‘He has no hold on me’.

But, secondly, the other ‘opportune time’ that came to mind was, on the face of it, an unexpected moment. A moment of great affirmation, recognition and break-through for Jesus – the moment Peter finally acknowledges Him as the Messiah, the Son of God (Mt 16:16). And it is precisely at that moment of ‘success’ in ministry – that Satan also makes a move on Jesus ....Because Jesus, as you are this special & amazing person you ought to get special treatment, not for you the way of the Cross, no, no, no… But there is no chink of pride or ego to be played upon in the heart of Jesus Christ – and the seduction is rebuked out of hand (v22-23).

We, however, do not generally fare so well under either aggravation or adulation – the devil sees opportunities to bring us down in both. A wise saint once prayed: ‘give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. (Pr 30:8). He knew the pitfalls of the extremes (v9).

Our prayers would be seasoned with much wisdom if they asked: ‘Lord, give me neither low self-esteem or a big ego’.

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