We know people who through short-cuts have achieved
name and fame. Some people have become rich on money gained by exorbitant
interests and cheating poor people. Once upon a time in India it was short-cut
money through lotteries, now it is through share markets. In Christian
conventional terms a short-cut can even mean a health and wealth gospel which
is a heretic gospel. While short-cuts are unbiblical and un-ethical, narrow
ways in contrast are the Biblical and ethical standards of living. I want to
try answering these short-cuts to prosperity from the temptation account of
Jesus found in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.
Here we see it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus to
the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days. We see prior to the
temptation, there was this garland of praise from a voice from
heaven who said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) The wisdom writer has put it right in Proverbs
27:21 that a person is tested by being praised. No wonder Jesus
underwent these tests from devil after receiving those words of praise.
Test 1: Physical
Need Through Short-cut:
Forty days of fasting. God who came in human flesh
was terribly hungry. It was at that time that the devil came to Jesus
with these words: "If
you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." To prove that
he is the son of God, Jesus would have yielded to this, for he was alone and he
was not going to be a stumbling block to any one by doing that! But Jesus did
not want his physical needs to be met by a short-cut. He chose the narrow way
to remain hungry. He replied, 'Man does
not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
What do we learn from this? We cannot choose to
yield to the needs of our body by stealing, sinning sexually just because nobody is
watching us. There can be no short-cuts to meet our basic physical needs.
Matthew 7:14 says: "But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” Lazarus remained hungry
and it was this small and narrow gate he found to get to heaven. So even if we
have to die because of hunger or any other physical depravity, we cannot choose
a short-cut.
Test 2: Fame
Through Short-cut:
Then the devil
took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple
and said, "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself
down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they
will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against
a stone.' Some temptations come to us when on one watches us. Some temptations
come when many are watching us. This was such a situation in the life of Jesus.
He could have performed a great stunt, a miracle and got a wider applause and
received a celebrity status easily through this short-cut. But a God who can perform
the utmost miracles did not choose this short-cut, but chose the narrow way of
waiting for the perfect timing of the Father God. He also encountered devil who
was trying to misinterpret the scriptures through scriptures itself. He said,
"It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'
Even today, in
heretic attacks, a believer should use the same formula: “It is also
written…..” and try to understand the whole truth of the Bible. Also just to
become famous many use short-cuts like copying in academic settings, giving
bribe and so on. Sometimes we can even go to the extent of spoiling other’s
lives just to become famous. Joseph and Daniel in the Bible are known for
integrity in their work places (Daniel 6:4). Joseph, a bachelor proved his
sexual integrity even after he was repeatedly tempted by an influential person
at work place. Their choices were narrow gates, resulting in loss of reputation,
and finally had the former go to prison and the latter to lion’s den. But God
saved them and in his own time raised them as rulers of nation. Narrow gate
lead us to gruelling experiences. There is however no short-cut to become
famous at the expense of following the ways of God.
Test 3: Power Through Short-cut:
The devil then
took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you
will bow down and worship me." Devil is known for his lying and
trickery all through history. He may be the prince of the world according to
John 16:1, but true to 1 John 4:4 which says that the
one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world, Jesus
said, "Away
from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.' The
power of the word of God made devil powerless at this point.
For want of power and status, people are always tempted
to idolise human heroes and money. Jesus chose the narrow way by choosing the
way of the cross and suffered and bled which led him to ultimate glory (Philippians
2:6-11). So even if it amounts to bear a cross, we are not to choose short-cuts
to attain power and glory.
The way of the devil is easy and always short-cut.
It is broad and attractive. But it leads to death and eternal punishment. The
way of God is narrow, difficult and unattractive. Yet Jesus has modelled us to
choose that. Following God’s ways may either lead us to a punishment followed
by a promotion in this earth like how it was in Joseph’s and Daniel’s cases or
else a straight promotion from a beggar status to an eternal glory like how it
was in Lazarus ’case. Which way do you prefer? Short-cut or Narrow gate?
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