Temptation #3
The 3rd recorded temptation takes place on "an exceeding high mountain." The King James version of the Bible says that it is "the devil" who "taketh him up" but we know from the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible that "Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh him" up to an exceeding high mountain. We know that the mountains, or high places, or even just somewhere quiet and secluded can be great teaching places for God and that his prophets go there to learn and commune with him. Moses went up into Mount Sinai, Nephi went into the mountains when they made camp by the seashore, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the mountain and was transfigured. We know that the temple is called the Mountain of the Lord, so it makes sense that Jesus would go to the mountain to further his spiritual preparation for his mission.
While on the mountain JTC tells us that "Jesus looked over the land with its wealth of city and field, of vineyard and orchard, of flocks and of herds; and in vision He saw the kingdoms of the world and contemplated the wealth, the splendor, the earthly glory of them all. Then saith Satan unto Him: 'All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' So wrote Matthew; the more extended version by Luke follows: 'And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine."
Let's take a minute to consider why this would be a temptation in the first place. Elder Hunter reminds us that Jesus "had lived as a modest village carpenter" before beginning his ministry. Let's also keep in mind that Joseph had probably died a while ago, and as the oldest son Jesus probably carried a heavy load of providing financially for his family. Initially it might look like a power grab or an offer of control, but even if that aspect didn't appeal to him, the temptation to make sure that his little family was provided for adequately for the rest of their lives would have been strong. Thinking about it from that angle, it must have taken incredible faith to be able to start his ministry, as poor as he was, leaving behind his mother and siblings trusting that God would see to their needs. Maybe that's why he started his ministry when he was so old, 30 years old, maybe he had family obligations to fulfill before he could begin. I've wondered that many times, why Jesus waited until he was 30 years old to begin his ministry when he could have started so much younger. Also when he was on the cross, He gave John the Beloved charge of caring for Mary his mother, and why would Jesus give a non-family member responsibility for his mother if he had other siblings that would have been able to care for her? I need to do some more research on this. Anyway, the opportunity to have riches untold, or to at least lighten the burden of his mother would have been something to consider.
All power, wealth and glory is a strong promise, but the irony here is that it wasn't Satan's to give in the first place. JTC continues, "We need not concern ourselves with conjecture as to whether Satan could have made good his promise in the event of Christ's doing him homage; certain it is Christ could have reached out, and have gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world had He willed so to do, and thereby have failed in His Messianic mission. This fact Satan knew full well. Many men have sold themselves to the devil for a kingdom and for less, aye, even for a few paltry pence." Elder Hunter comments, "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 of 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. Jesus knew that if he were faithful to his Father and obedient to every commandment, he would inherit 'all that (the)Father hath'- and so would any other son or daughter of God. The surest way to lose the blessings of time and eternity is to accept them on Satan's terms." The first point that I think is interesting from this is that this is the classic case of now vs. later. Satan basically told Jesus that he could give him all that God had now, instead of waiting for God to give it all to him later. This is definitely a problem for us here in this life, or well at least for me. Sometimes I get to the point where I think "I will do anything for... to... if..." all these things and I know that I will get whatever it is that is upsetting me at the time eventually because it's been promised by the Lord, but I want it now so I throw a little fit. But this is one aspect of this temptation, now vs. later. The second point I think it interesting from this is JTC's assertion that Jesus could have "gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world had He willed so to do." The reasons that Satan's temptation was valid in the first place, the modest living situation of Jesus and probably Mary and the other children, that desire to care and provide for them would have still been there in the back of Jesus's mind even after Satan departed. It is just interesting to me to note that Jesus knew that at any time he could call down the powers of heaven to give more to his family, or others that he saw struggling. The fact that he refrained from doing so the vast majority of the time is a testament to his humility and faith. If it would have been me I would have flooded the world with food, water, shelter, animals, all types of stuff, I would have given everybody everything all the time, and that's not God's will, that's not how the plan works. It is quite insightful as to the Savior's humility that he would perform miracles only when directed to do so by the Holy Ghost.
Ultimately, the temptation for power, glory, and wealth by worshipping Satan was not in fact a temptation at all for the Savior, for he replied, "Get thee thence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." He rejected Satan's offer, "then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him." Elder Hunter says, "As with Jesus, so with us, relief comes and miracles are enjoyed after the trial and temptation of our faith."
So that's it?! Three temptations then he's done for his whole life? How is that fair? Satan just leaves him alone? No wonder he was able to be perfect. These are the questions that I've asked myself regarding this issue since childhood. This is not the case, Luke tells us that Satan departed from Jesus "for a season," indicating that Satan came back after a while. JTC says, "It is not given to the rest of us, nor was it given to Jesus, to meet the foe, to fight and overcome in a single encounter, once and for all time. The strife between the immortal spirit and the flesh, between the offspring of God on the one hand, the world and the devil on the other, is persistent through life." In "The Infinite Atonement" Tad R. Callister says, "Every day of our lives we battle temptation- and so did the Savior. It is an integral part of the human experience, faced not only by us but also by him. He drank from the same cup. We know little of the Savior's youthful years, but no sooner had his mission commenced than he 'was left to be tempted of the devil.' The Savior was triumphant, but Satan would return. The scriptures record, 'He (Satan) departed from him for a season.' The Pharisees would tempt him on multiple occasions; a lawyer would try to entrap Him- all to no avail. Even on the cross, Satan would spew forth his final poison dart: 'If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. The Savior's temptations were not limited to direct confrontations with the Evil One and his emissaries. Alma knew that he would suffer 'temptations of every kind.' This would include temptations relating to 'pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue.' No doubt he would face temptations of greed, power, and fame. Every temptation of the flesh would face him." I feel like I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the Savior after learning more about the temptations he faced while in mortality.
While on the mountain JTC tells us that "Jesus looked over the land with its wealth of city and field, of vineyard and orchard, of flocks and of herds; and in vision He saw the kingdoms of the world and contemplated the wealth, the splendor, the earthly glory of them all. Then saith Satan unto Him: 'All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' So wrote Matthew; the more extended version by Luke follows: 'And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine."
Let's take a minute to consider why this would be a temptation in the first place. Elder Hunter reminds us that Jesus "had lived as a modest village carpenter" before beginning his ministry. Let's also keep in mind that Joseph had probably died a while ago, and as the oldest son Jesus probably carried a heavy load of providing financially for his family. Initially it might look like a power grab or an offer of control, but even if that aspect didn't appeal to him, the temptation to make sure that his little family was provided for adequately for the rest of their lives would have been strong. Thinking about it from that angle, it must have taken incredible faith to be able to start his ministry, as poor as he was, leaving behind his mother and siblings trusting that God would see to their needs. Maybe that's why he started his ministry when he was so old, 30 years old, maybe he had family obligations to fulfill before he could begin. I've wondered that many times, why Jesus waited until he was 30 years old to begin his ministry when he could have started so much younger. Also when he was on the cross, He gave John the Beloved charge of caring for Mary his mother, and why would Jesus give a non-family member responsibility for his mother if he had other siblings that would have been able to care for her? I need to do some more research on this. Anyway, the opportunity to have riches untold, or to at least lighten the burden of his mother would have been something to consider.
All power, wealth and glory is a strong promise, but the irony here is that it wasn't Satan's to give in the first place. JTC continues, "We need not concern ourselves with conjecture as to whether Satan could have made good his promise in the event of Christ's doing him homage; certain it is Christ could have reached out, and have gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world had He willed so to do, and thereby have failed in His Messianic mission. This fact Satan knew full well. Many men have sold themselves to the devil for a kingdom and for less, aye, even for a few paltry pence." Elder Hunter comments, "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 of 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. Jesus knew that if he were faithful to his Father and obedient to every commandment, he would inherit 'all that (the)Father hath'- and so would any other son or daughter of God. The surest way to lose the blessings of time and eternity is to accept them on Satan's terms." The first point that I think is interesting from this is that this is the classic case of now vs. later. Satan basically told Jesus that he could give him all that God had now, instead of waiting for God to give it all to him later. This is definitely a problem for us here in this life, or well at least for me. Sometimes I get to the point where I think "I will do anything for... to... if..." all these things and I know that I will get whatever it is that is upsetting me at the time eventually because it's been promised by the Lord, but I want it now so I throw a little fit. But this is one aspect of this temptation, now vs. later. The second point I think it interesting from this is JTC's assertion that Jesus could have "gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world had He willed so to do." The reasons that Satan's temptation was valid in the first place, the modest living situation of Jesus and probably Mary and the other children, that desire to care and provide for them would have still been there in the back of Jesus's mind even after Satan departed. It is just interesting to me to note that Jesus knew that at any time he could call down the powers of heaven to give more to his family, or others that he saw struggling. The fact that he refrained from doing so the vast majority of the time is a testament to his humility and faith. If it would have been me I would have flooded the world with food, water, shelter, animals, all types of stuff, I would have given everybody everything all the time, and that's not God's will, that's not how the plan works. It is quite insightful as to the Savior's humility that he would perform miracles only when directed to do so by the Holy Ghost.
Ultimately, the temptation for power, glory, and wealth by worshipping Satan was not in fact a temptation at all for the Savior, for he replied, "Get thee thence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." He rejected Satan's offer, "then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him." Elder Hunter says, "As with Jesus, so with us, relief comes and miracles are enjoyed after the trial and temptation of our faith."
So that's it?! Three temptations then he's done for his whole life? How is that fair? Satan just leaves him alone? No wonder he was able to be perfect. These are the questions that I've asked myself regarding this issue since childhood. This is not the case, Luke tells us that Satan departed from Jesus "for a season," indicating that Satan came back after a while. JTC says, "It is not given to the rest of us, nor was it given to Jesus, to meet the foe, to fight and overcome in a single encounter, once and for all time. The strife between the immortal spirit and the flesh, between the offspring of God on the one hand, the world and the devil on the other, is persistent through life." In "The Infinite Atonement" Tad R. Callister says, "Every day of our lives we battle temptation- and so did the Savior. It is an integral part of the human experience, faced not only by us but also by him. He drank from the same cup. We know little of the Savior's youthful years, but no sooner had his mission commenced than he 'was left to be tempted of the devil.' The Savior was triumphant, but Satan would return. The scriptures record, 'He (Satan) departed from him for a season.' The Pharisees would tempt him on multiple occasions; a lawyer would try to entrap Him- all to no avail. Even on the cross, Satan would spew forth his final poison dart: 'If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. The Savior's temptations were not limited to direct confrontations with the Evil One and his emissaries. Alma knew that he would suffer 'temptations of every kind.' This would include temptations relating to 'pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue.' No doubt he would face temptations of greed, power, and fame. Every temptation of the flesh would face him." I feel like I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the Savior after learning more about the temptations he faced while in mortality.
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