We all desire some miraculous delivery

By Brilliant Pongo

How many times do we find ourselves in trouble, only to blame our situation on the wrong root cause? We all have a tendency to desire some miraculous delivery from the consequences of our actions.

The root causes of all our troubles are the choices and actions we make when we face temptations. A lot of us are still in spiritual exile as a result of years of sin and refusing to serve the one true God. Yes, sin is our problem. And instead of confronting our sins we seek to blame others and thereby fail to identify the real enemy, the devil, Satan who is the tempter.

The first thing Jesus did in his public ministry was to confront the real enemy of us all, the devil. Jesus was led out into the wilderness where after 40 days he would withstand three temptations.

First temptation, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stone be made bread” (Matt.4:3).

This was an appeal to physical needs and desires and an attempt to either give undue importance to or pervert normal mortal requirement. Jesus overcame this temptation when he answered: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:5)

I wonder how many of us would overcome such a temptation to turn stones into bread in our day. Many are not converting to the Christianity for the love of Christ, but are converting to the miracles, yes; many rush for miracles, more precisely miracle money and the promise to be materially rich.

When Jesus had completed the fast of forty days and had communed with God, he was, in this hungry and physically weakened state, left to be tempted of the devil. That, too, was to be part of his preparation.

Such a time is always the tempter’s moment—when we are emotionally or physically spent, when we are weary, vulnerable, and least prepared to resist the insidious suggestions he makes. This was an hour of danger—the kind of moment in which many men fall and succumb to the subtle allurement of the devil.

It is my take that most Zimbabweans are in such a state at the moment many are very hungry for success, after the many years of trouble that have bedevilled our nation, leaving thousands unemployed anything that brings about instant riches will be our preferred pathway even if it be the devils instruction to turn stones into bread.

Thus, I warn you children of God the devil is out hunting many have come and indeed they are amongst us, as wolfs in sheep’s clothing these ravenous devils are disguised as prophets and as preachers of the word of God, and like serpents (varikudya namavara).

Satan’s first temptation was to entice Jesus to satisfy his craving for food, that most basic, physical, biological need. It was a temptation of the senses, an appeal to appetite, and in many ways the most common and most dangerous of the devil’s allurements.

“If thou be the Son of God,” he said, “command that these stones be made bread.” (Matt. 4:3.)

During the long weeks of seclusion, Jesus Christ had been sustained by the exaltation of spirit that would naturally accompany such meditation, prayer, and communion with the heavens. In such a devoted spirit, bodily appetites were subdued and superceded, but now the demands of the flesh were inevitable.

Satan was not simply tempting Jesus to eat. Had he suggested, “Go down out of this wilderness and obtain food from the bread maker,” there would have been no temptation because undoubtedly Jesus intended to eat at the close of his fast.

Satan’s temptation was to have him eat in a spectacular way—using his divine powers for selfish purposes. The temptation was in the invitation to turn stones into bread miraculously, instantaneously, without waiting or postponing physical gratification.

His reply to the tempter was crystal clear: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4.)

Second temptation, “Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple; then the devil came unto him and said, if thou be the son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone”(Matt.4: 5-6).

Perhaps the symbolic nature of the second temptation is the least apparent of the three. But on reflection, this temptation points to a tendency to desire some miraculous delivery from the consequences of our actions; to be borne up, if you will, by angels or divine providence, with little effort on our part.

Why is such a tendency harmful? Why is it crucial that we accept responsibility for our actions? Moreover, how should our understanding of our personal responsibility affect our behaviour? Ancient Greek dramatists had a device they used when the characters in their dramas were trapped in a complex web of dilemmas, largely of their own making- the deus ex machina.

This was a machine in which actors portraying the gods would suddenly be lowered on the scene to save the mortal character from the consequences of their own actions.

Today many people manifest the desire for such a rescue in small and large ways: the student who, having failed to study during the term, prays for assistance in an examination; the individual who, wants to own a car or a house but never works to get them, but, believes that they can claim and posses property by simply wiping whatever item with a cloth; the individual who, having violated the commands of God or rules of society, expects mercy to utterly suppress the requirements of justice, the individual who does not seek employment or ways to make a living but hopes that money will just appear miraculously in their pockets .

“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (Matt. 4:6)

There lurked in this appeal from Satan another temptation of the human side of mortal nature—the temptation to perform some dazzling feat, some astounding exploit which might bring crowds of amazed and attentive onlookers.

Surely leaping from the dizzy heights of the temple turret and landing in the courtyard unhurt would be such a feat. This would be public recognition that Jesus was a superior being and did have a message from on high. It would be a sign and a wonder, the fame of which would spread like wildfire throughout all Judaea and cause many to believe that the Messiah had indeed come.

But faith is to precede the miracle; miracles are not to precede the faith. Jesus, of course, answered scripture for scripture by replying, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matt. 4:7; see also Deut. 6:16.) Once more the purposes of Satan were thwarted and Christ became the victor.

But today we have some amongst us who seem to think that miracles precede faith, they are going about turning air into money and filling the pockets of congregates with the so-called miracle money.

Indeed they are performing some dazzling feats, which are astounding and without a doubt bringing crowds of amazed and attentive onlookers. These performances have brought about a lot of public recognition and in some quarters authenticated the performers as superior beings that undoubtedly have a message from on high.

Third temptation, “Jesus was in the spirit, and it taketh him into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And the devil came unto him again and said, all these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me”. (Matt.4: 8-9).

In this temptation, the devil casts away all subtlety and scripture and all deviousness and disguise. Now he staked everything on a blunt, bold proposition. From a high mountain he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them—the cities, the fields, the flocks, the herds, and everything nature could offer. Though they were not his to give, Satan offered them all to Jesus—to him who had lived as a modest village carpenter.

With wealth, splendor, and earthly glory spread before them, Satan said unto him, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” (Matt. 4:9.) In a final ploy Satan was falling back on one of his false but fundamental propositions, one which resulted in his leading one-third of the hosts from heaven and continues to direct his miserable efforts against the children of men here on earth. It is the proposition that everyone has a price; that material things finally matter most, that ultimately you can buy anything in this world for money.

“Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:37)

In power and dignity, Jesus commanded, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10.) Anguished and defeated Satan turned and went away. “And when the devil had ended all the temptation,” Luke adds, “he departed from him for a season.” (Luke 4:13.) Matthew tells us that “angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matt. 4:11.)

As with Jesus, so with us, relief comes and miracles are enjoyed after the trial and temptation of our faith. There is, of course, running through all of these temptations, Satan’s insidious suggestion that Jesus was not the Son of God, the doubt implied in the tempter’s repeated use of the word if. “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” (Matt. 4:3.)

“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.” (Matt. 4:6.) These, of course, were foreshadows of that final, desperate temptation which would come three years later: “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matt. 27:40.) But Jesus patiently withstood that ploy also, knowing in due time every knee would bow and every tongue confess.

The question for us now is—will we succeed? Will we resist? Will we wear the victor’s crown? Satan may have lost Jesus, but he does not believe he has lost us. He continues to tempt, taunt, and plead for our loyalty. We should take strength for this battle from the fact that Christ was victorious not as a God but as a man.

As Paul wrote, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb. 5:8); and he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He was perfect and sinless, not because he had to be, but rather because he clearly and determinedly wanted to be

What about us?