Temptation #2

I imagine that Satan knew Who he was dealing with when it came to the temptation of Jesus—the Son of God and Savior of the World—which meant he probably also knew to bring the big guns if he was going to have any chance of taking Him down (Matthew 4:1-11). The first temptation targeted physical need (e.g. food) and the third attacked via lust of the eyes (e.g. power, pride, pleasure)—both commendable approaches I'd say if I were an evil douchebag.

However, temptation number two seemed to come out of left field, almost throwing a shot away. In Matthew chapter 4, look at verses 5 through 7:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

My initial thought: "Seriously? Daring someone to jump off a building? That's your secret weapon, Satan?" Clearly I was missing something. But then I realized that tons of people (myself very much included) do stupid things all the time in order to prove their identity, whether it be to enemies, loved ones, or themselves.

"If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down."

Whoa. Temptation number two is a solid sucker punch after all. This trial goes to show how crucial it is to know who you really are (otherwise, you'd go splat)!

This reminds me of the teachings of a wise man.

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