Satan tempted Jesus with political power over “all the kingdoms of the world.” But the man from Nazareth refused the offer. Instead of might and grandeur, he submitted to the way of the ‘Suffering Servant.’ But the most startling detail is that he did not dispute the Devil’s claim to have jurisdiction over the political systems of the world.
In the gospel account, Jesus is “driven”
into the wilderness by God’s Spirit where he is “tested.” And once
there, Satan tempts him in four ways, the greatest of which is the offer of political
power - (Matthew 4:8-11).
IN THE WILDERNESS
Matthew records how the Devil took Jesus to
a high mountain and showed him all the “kingdoms of the world (kosmos)
and their grandeur.” He offered him more than just sovereignty over the
Jewish nation.
In Matthew’s passage, “world” or “kosmos”
can refer to the entire physical world if not the creation itself. Effectively,
Satan was offering the “kingdom of God,” the very thing Jesus came to
inaugurate.
In Luke’s
version, the Tempter boasted that he could give Jesus “all this
authority” if only he acknowledged Satan’s overlordship, and he claimed that “it
has been delivered to me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it.”
Surprisingly, Jesus
did NOT dispute the Devil’s right to dispense political power. And if Satan
received this authority from a higher source (“it has been delivered to me”),
that could only be God. Most likely, behind his claim is the original fall of
man. His present tyrannical rule over humanity is a consequence of Adam’s sin -
(John 12:31, 14:30).
To acquire this awesome power, Jesus had to
“render homage” to the Devil. The Greek verb denotes the sense of giving
homage or allegiance to someone or something, and not the modern Western idea
of “worship” in a religious sense. Thus, at least according to Satan, to gain universal
sovereignty it was necessary for the Messiah to acknowledge him as his sovereign.
MESSIAH
Whether Jesus felt tempted by this offer the
passage does not say. But considering that the “Spirit drove him” into
the wilderness to be tested by Satan, the gospel writers must have considered it
a real possibility.
And besides, Jesus was the Messiah appointed
by God to reign over all the earth. But how could the Davidic king reign over
the rebellious nations of the earth without the military and economic power of
this world’s governments? Was it not his destiny to subdue and rule over the
entire earth? – Psalm 2:6-8).
Effectively, Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to his God-ordained royal position, a way for him to avoid suffering and death on a Roman cross and still acquire political power.
And imagine all the good that Jesus could accomplish
if he sat on Caesar’s throne and commanded his legions! With the military and
economic might of Rome at his command, would not righteousness prevail across
the empire?
Surely, if ever there was justification for
the resort to State power this was it. Who better to wield the imperial might of
the World Empire than the Prince of Peace?
SUFFERING SERVANT
However, rather than bow to Satan by resorting
to the political methods of the present age, Jesus submitted to the path of the
Suffering Servant. In God’s domain, true victory is achieved by self-denial
and sacrificial service to others, and “greatness” is measured by acts
of mercy, especially to one’s enemy.
And contrary to the messianic expectations
of his contemporaries, and in defiance of Satan’s offer, Jesus chose to “take
on the form of a slave” and became “obedient unto death, even death upon
a cross.”
And because of his choice, God exalted him highly
to reign over the Cosmos, and He gave him the “name, which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth.” But Golgotha must precede glory and ascension to the
throne of David.
And the disciple of Jesus is summoned to adopt this same self-denying mind. “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus” - (Philippians 2:6-11).
In the end, every disciple must choose whether to “follow the Lamb
wherever he goes,” or to bow to Satan’s vassal, the “Beast.” The
kingdom of God can never be implemented and achieved through the sinful ways
and corrupt political means of this fallen age.
The institutional church has a long and sordid
history of mixing Church and State. The temptation to use political power to
impose “right” beliefs and conduct is too great. Sooner or later, advancing the
Christian religion through the political
mechanisms of this world always
necessitates resorting to the coercive mechanisms of the State.
We need to take seriously the scriptural
portrayal of political power as being part of Satan’s domain. If the Devil
works behind the political scenes of this world, and if the possession of
political power necessitates giving allegiance to him, and since Jesus himself
refused to do so and instead chose the way of the cross, should his followers not
follow the same path?
Are we not called to render homage to Jesus
as our Lord and King rather than Satan? And should we embrace what he rejected?
Alas, it seems, many Christians and churches prefer the Devil’s easier way,
though appearances are often deceiving.