The Son of God and the Devil

First Sunday In Lent

Luke 4: 1-13

The Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’ If you are the Son of God, the Devil said. The title "Son of God" means Emperor, and the title "Son of Man" means anti-emperor, or no one important. In Luke's Gospel we find a reverse genealogy which ends with Jesus as the Son of Adam and Son of God. Jesus in fact is the real Emperor, who unlike Tiberius Cesar walks every everywhere he goes, does not carry a sword, loves his enemies and dies shamefully on a cross.

Jesus has an issue with these false emperors.

The Devil, Satan, the accuser, is the real spiritual power behind the Emperors and all Empires. Think of the Empires of the present and the past and see how they possess the power to compel belief--that power comes from Satan. Empires like the Third Reich, The British Empire, and the Soviet Union.

In order to make it clear to this Emperor Candidate, who stands before him, how things really work, The Devil tests Jesus. It was believed at the time, and even into present day, like in North Korea, that Kings and Emperors possess magical powers. The would weave gold threads into their clothing and wear golden crowns or laurel leaves dipped in gold. When they rode about in their chariots or on their horses in their golden attire they would glow and everyone would gaze upon them in amazement.

The Devil wants Jesus to make a command, and turn the stone into bread. Why take advice from the Devil? Jesus never says, "I command you..." Jesus says "Follow me." He doesn't add blessing and cursing to the end of everything he says, like it does in the Torah. Jesus doesn't compel or corerse people into following him by using fear. Jesus uses the Truth and says, "Follow me." We follow Jesus because he is right. His Empire endures forever because it is based on the power of Truth and Love and not on fear and coresion.

With no more power than the power of the Truth Jesus stands against the Devil who is filled with the power of Fear.

Jesus is Lord over all of us, not with threatening power or fear, but with Truth and Love.

It is possible to be a church based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone, without the need of fear or scape goating. The world needs it so much.