What did Jesus say about idols?

There are characteristic differences in the way the temptation is presented. Matthew gives the historic order, and the full sequel. Satan first sought to turn Him from the only true place of man — namely, obedience to and dependence upon God. Baffled at both these points by the perfection with which the Lord kept His place in both, he presented the world to the Lord, offering Him all the kingdoms of it and the glory of them if He would only worship him. Then it is, when the tempter has come out in his full character as claiming divine worship, that the Lord says: "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

In the second temptation the world's kingdoms were set before His eyes, with all the power and pomp and splendour of them, which dazzle and fascinate men, and for which they will sell their souls and deny their God. And these kingdoms all belonged to Jesus, but God's way, and the only way by which He could secure them in everlasting righteousness was by suffering and death. "You shall have them," said the tempter, "by an easy way. I will give them to you if you will but worship me; acknowledge me as greater than yourself and God; take them from my hand and all shall be yours." But those glittering kingdoms had no attraction in that hour for the holy One of God. He would not take them from any hand but God's hand, He could trust God to put all things beneath His feet when the due time came, but that time was not yet. His eyes were upon God, and He met the temptation with an uncompromising answer, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve."

The Lord rebuts the worldly temptations by insisting, according to the written Word, on worshipping the Lord God and serving only Him. Homage to Satan is incompatible with the service of God.

The third temptation was the offer to the Lord of all the glory of the world if He would do homage to Satan. In this he is discovered as Satan. Christ shows that God only is to be worshipped, and bids Satan to depart. All the kingdoms of the earth will be Christ's in God's own time, for which the Lord is waiting. With man, how many have, alas! paid homage to Satan in some way for scraps of worldly glory or earthly possessions!

It will be noticed that the Lord in answering Satan (in each case with 'It is written') quoted from the Book of Deuteronomy, a book in which Israel is contemplated as on the point of entering the land of promise. The same weapon is for the use of the Christian, and is called 'the sword of the Spirit:' it is also said, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." In Luke's Gospel the temptations are arranged in their moral order, the second temptation in Matthew being the last in Luke.

Our Lord referred to this essential combination when resisting the temptations of Satan in the wilderness. Quoting from Deut. 6:13, He said to the devil, "It is written, Thou shalt do homage to (worship) the Lord thy God, and Him alone shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10). The Lord Jesus had taken "the form of a servant," and as such He glorified God to the uttermost; for He was Jehovah's Beloved Servant, of Whom the prophets of Israel bore ample witness.

The life of the perfect Man is a life of separation from evil. The Lord refused every object that would come in between the soul and God. The devil bid high in the endeavour to turn the Lord from the separate path. He offered Him "all the kingdoms of the world" if He would but worship the devil. The Lord's reply was, "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Luke 4:5-8). A very little bit of this world is too often sufficient to ensnare our souls, and thus we turn aside to seek some passing satisfaction in the things of this world, only to find that we multiply to ourselves sorrows. The Lord refused the idols of this world. He would not take up their names into His lips. The word to us is, "Little children keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).

Once more Satan changes his ground. "He taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Luke adds, "For that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it" — not in possession indeed, but as an object to attract the heart. The character of this last temptation is, the world. Let us be warned: as surely as anything in this world is presented to us as an object to be pursued, it is of Satan. God cannot offer us anything in a world that has cast the Son of God absolutely out of it. We are heirs of it with Christ. By and by He will put us into possession. When He takes possession it will be time enough for hearts that love Him to possess it. He will never dissociate us from Himself. When He takes the inheritance of all things in heaven and earth we shall take it with Him. Now He calls us into the lowly path of His rejection, and gives us His obedience, and dependence and absolute refusal of the world, to be our pattern in it.

Some may wish to observe that the Messiah, to whom the diadem really belongs, has already come. He has indeed: but not to assert those rights, but rather allowing man to have his hour, and the power of darkness to assert itself, that He might accomplish redemption by His death. Satan, who profanely has usurped the diadem, actually offered it to Him during the temptation in the wilderness. He refused it, and chose not that short and easy cut to glory, but the toilsome road that lay through death and resurrection — 'ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?' (Luke 24:26).

But now look at Jesus for a moment; look at the obedience we find here. He says, "It is written." Mark how He appeals again and again to the Scriptures; how the Word of God, beloved friends, is still His great weapon in meeting the adversary. "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." v. 8.

"Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." (Deut. 6:4.) This was the great central truth enforced by the Lawgiver on Israel. Round it circled all other. There could be one object of love alone, this one Jehovah, to whom every affection should flow (v. 5), and but one object of worship and service (v. 13) quoted by our Lord in answer to Satan. This great truth was in contrast to the idols of the heathen - gods formed out of the imagination of the heart, in reality demons, to whom every unholy desire and evil passion were consecrated, and who were worshipped according to the varied passions, lusts, or fears that moved the human heart.