Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power for his messianic mission if only he accepted the Devil as his overlord.
Satan tempted Jesus with political power over “all the kingdoms
of the world,” but he 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 takes Jesus
to a high mountain and shows him all the “kingdoms of the world (kosmos)
and their grandeur.” He offers him more than just sovereignty over the
Jewish nation.
In the passage, “world” or “kosmos”
can refer to the entire physical world if not the creation itself. Effectively,
Satan is offering him the “kingdom of God,” the very thing he has come to
inaugurate.
In the version
in Luke, the Tempter boasts that he can give Jesus “all this
authority” if only he acknowledges Satan’s overlordship, and he declares that “it
has been delivered to me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it.”
Jesus does NOT
dispute his right to dispense political power. And if Satan received this
authority from a higher source (“it has been delivered to me”), that can
only be God. Most likely, behind his claim is the original fall of man. His rulership
over humanity is a consequence of Adam’s sin - (John 12:31, 14:30).
To acquire this awesome power, Jesus must “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, to gain universal sovereignty it is necessary for
the Messiah to acknowledge Satan as his sovereign.
MESSIAH
Whether Jesus felt tempted by this offer the
passage does not say. But considering that the “Spirit drove him” to be
tested by Satan, the gospel writers must have considered it a real possibility.
And besides, Jesus is the Messiah appointed
by God to reign over all the earth. But how can the Davidic king reign over the
rebellious nations of the earth without the military and economic powers of this
world’s governments? Is it not his destiny to subdue and rule over the entire
earth? – Psalm 2:6-8).
Effectively, Satan intends to provide him with a shortcut to his God-ordained royal position, a way for him to avoid suffering and death on a Roman cross.
And imagine all the good that Jesus can accomplish
if he sits on Caesar’s throne and commands his legions! With the military and
economic might of Rome at his command, will not righteousness prevail across
the empire?
Surely, if ever there was justification for
the resort to State power this is 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 submits to the path of the Suffering
Servant.
In the Kingdom of God, true victory is achieved
by self-denial and sacrificial service to others, and “greatness” is measured
in 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 become “obedient unto death, even death upon
a cross.”
And because of his choice, God has exalted him
highly to reign over the Cosmos, and He has given 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 ascension and
glory.
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).
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 age always necessitates
resorting to the coercive power 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 we not follow
his example?
Are we not called to render homage to Jesus
as our Lord and King rather than Satan? And should we embrace what he rejected?
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