Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your food against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God..”
Matthew 4:5-7
In this reflection, we examine the second of the three temptations of Christ. In this instance, the devil takes Jesus to the holy city, that is Jerusalem, and sets Him on the highest point of the temple. He challenges Jesus that if He is really the Son of God, to throw Himself down from the temple, and trust that God will send His angels to protect Jesus, despite His reckless and dangerous actions. Jesus responds that we should not tempt the Lord our God.
It is interesting that the three specific temptations of Christ tempt us also. The first temptation was about materialism, going after the material thing in our time of need or want. This second temptation is about doing something dangerous to test whether God will protect us. This manifests itself in two ways in life. First, we tempt God. We engage in foolish or dangerous things and expect God to help us. The prayer of the unprepared student comes to mind. This isn’t a real prayer, mind you. It is a metaphor for how many people deal with God. They come in a time of crisis, such as when they didn’t study for a test, and they ask and expect God to deliver them. They demand a miracle they don’t deserve, and are disappointed when they don’t get it. Most of us have had the experience of not studying hard enough for a test, or not putting in enough time on a work assignment, not because either was hard, but because we just didn’t take the proper time. And then we come to God and ask for deliverance to ace the test or complete the assignment. When God doesn’t come through for us, we are frustrated with Him, when it is really ourselves we should be frustrated with.
In football, there is a play called the “Hail, Mary!” This is when there is time for only one play and a team needs to score a touchdown, so the quarterback heaves the ball into the air down the field, and hopes it will be caught. As some describe the play, it is basically “throwing up a prayer” and hoping it gets answered. Metaphorically, some people throw up a “Hail, Mary!” often—they are down and hope that by heaving up a prayer, or rushing to church to light a candle, or some other desperate move, they can still pull out the victory. It is ironical that the original “Hail, Mary!” was the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel that was made with deep respect and reverence, as the Archangel told Mary that she was favored in the eyes of God and that God had chosen her to bear His Son. “Hail, Mary!” is not a cry of desperation, but one of deep respect, and our use of this phrase to describe a last second play in football is quite a stretch beyond its original meaning.
The second way that this temptation is manifest in our lives is when others push us to tempt God. People goad one another into all kinds of reckless behavior, thinking that God doesn’t want anything bad to happen to us, and He will protect us. People easily forget that our bodies are both strong and fragile. Driving too fast and hitting another object can easily kill a body. Drinking way too much can have fatal consequences. Stunts like cliff jumping can permanently injure or kill people. Our bodies are our responsibilities, and we have to safeguard ourselves from personal bad choices, as well as pressure from others to make bad choices.
Some of us tempt God in ways that are less extreme but still potentially dangerous, and that is with unhealthy lifestyles—the ones where we eat too much and don’t exercise enough. And yet we convince ourselves that we are good people who are doing good things, so if we cheat a little bit, or a lot, when it comes to food, exercise and sleep, that somehow God will protect us. I’m guilty of this, for sure. We are neither invincible or immortal, and putting ourselves in situations that challenge our mortality actually mock God, it’s like we dare Him to save us. We can all do a better job of honoring God with our bodies, after all they are temples. The temptation to “throw your body off the temple” that the devil offered to Christ, is the same temptation each of us faces when we are tempted to not treat our bodies like a temple.
In resisting temptation, Christ shows us an example of not tempting God, or putting ourselves in situations that require God to intervene to cover our bad choices. The best antidote to this kind of temptation is focus and preparation, as well as a sense of gratitude. If we are prepared, there is no need for a “hail Mary” play call. If we are making good choices, there will be no need for God to cover the bad ones. And when we are grateful and content, we are likely to make better choices.
Lord, thank You for everything You have given me—My life, breath, the ability to think, and the opportunities that this day presents to me. Please help me to make good choices today, to be efficient in my tasks, to be grateful and content, and to be surrounded by people who will encourage the best in me. Amen.
Make good choices today!
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