Luke 4:12 … Putting God to the Test (12/03/16)
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
~ Jesus (Luke 4:12)
This verse also contains much more Meaning than originally meets the mind …
Initially, it is important to realize the implications of this verse’s direct ties to Matthew 4:1-10, the portion of the Gospels where Jesus three times resisted the three great temptations of Satan – sustenance, power, and immortality. And while Luke 4:12 only references Jesus’ response of resistance to the third temptation (immortality), the implications of his rejection are far greater than one would first assume. For unbeknownst to many, one of the only times (if not the only time) that the term “Son of Man” was used to reference the sole Davidian Messiah (as opposed to merely referring to all of humanity – like it does in Matthew 8:20, Matthew 9:6, Matthew 11:19, Matthew 16:28, Matthew 20:28 & Matthew 24:27 et al) is in Daniel 7:13-14, where that Messiah openly receives the very same temptation-rewards that Jesus rejects here in Luke 4 (and in Matthew 4 as well) – meaning that this verse indirectly supports what Jesus himself directly states a number of times in the Gospels; namely, that he is not the Messiah at all; at least not any more than the rest of us could ever choose to be.
Secondly, it is important to realize that it is impossible to put an all-Loving YHWH to any test – for the simple reason that an all-Loving heavenly Father cannot by His perfectly Loving nature ever take offense at anything we do or say, just as the ever fear-full and oft-jealous Elohim are wont to react aggressively & indeed violently to even our smallest hints of betrayal.
Thirdly, this verse essentially states that we are not to use personal prayers to satisfy our own desires, but are rather to pray either for the Highest Good of all to take place &/or to give thanks for our lives and the implicit ability we all have to serve Love & bring Peace therein no matter what happens to us or for us.
And, fourthly & finally, Luke 4:12 reminds us to regularly & repeatedly rescind all our selfish temptations and to replace them with virtuous acts of Generosity & Kindness.
Amen … Let it be so.
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