6 - Temptation of power

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will give his angels charge of you,’

and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,

‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Jesus fasts in the wilderness before he is tempted. As if to emphasize how centrally important this new power paradigm is to his ministry, the gospels and the divine order, Jesus preludes his ministry with a guide on the proper relationship with and use of power. Every temptation directly concerns the use and abuse of power.

Satan is the advocate for the status quo power structure, which is vertically arranged, where the more powerful objectify other individual subjects using them as means to an end. Satan is challenging the horizontal conception of power that Christ’s kingdom is based upon.

In all three temptations, Jesus never explicitly provides a true direct ‘why' for his rejection of Satan's offer. Both Jesus and Satan already know the answer to the why, no further explanation is needed to each other. They both know how power works in the world. They both know the concept of power that Jesus represents over and against how power is conceived in the world. Satan presents Jesus with what he sees as a weakness in Jesus's use of power. Jesus in turn rejects the criticism appropriately with quotes from the Deuteronomy, from the time that the Israelites wandered the wilderness as Jesus had immediately finished doing.

After fasting he was hungry

In the first temptation, it has been explicitly stated prior that Jesus’ fasting is now finished. Satan presents the critique that, “Look Jesus, you are done fasting. According to your concept of power, you can't even use the Holy Spirit to feed yourself, despite not violating your fast.” Why would it be wrong to turn a stone into bread? The fast is over. Yet, Christ using the power of the Holy Spirit to relieve that hunger is clearly not a proper use of power. Why is this?

Satan knows that in Jesus's conception of power, one is not to use true power in self-interest, only in the interest of others. Jesus's response of “Man doesn't live by bread alone (Deut 8:3)” is akin to “I'm not about to die. I can wait.”

First temptation: You will not use power in your own self-interest

The holiest height

Next Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, quotes Psalm 91 to tempt Jesus to prove his power by throwing himself down and being rescued by angels. Jesus is about to begin his ministry, and proving his power at the holiest site in Jerusalem would immediately give him followers. Why would there be any issue with this?

If Jesus did this, what is the objection of this exercise of power? It is the exercise of power for the sake of power. Nothing else, only spectacle.

Jesus will not exercise power for the sake of power. Jesus will not participate in spectacle for the sake of spectacle. He replies “You shall not test the Lord your God” (Deut 6:16). This highlights how if the power of God is not directed towards an actual good goal, it becomes a test of God's power. It is expressing doubt of God's power for the expressed purpose of spectacle.

Second Temptation: Do not use power unless it is directed towards the actualization of a real good. It shall not be used for pure spectacle.

The greatest temptation

Finally Jesus is taken up to see all the nations of the world. Satan offers them up to Jesus in exchange for Jesus kneeling before him to worship him.

This immediately makes many wince back, incredulous at how absurd this offer seems. However, we all need to take a step back and look at what is on offer, at least on the surface. With control over all the kingdoms on earth, think of the good that could be done. Jesus would have the power to care for all the powerless. Jesus could change the paradigm to horizontal power relationships. It would give him the ability to reshape the world in his own image.

But, no. Christ replies “Begone, Satan! for it is written ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. (Deut 6:13)’”

The exercise of coercive power for good is still an exercise of coercive power. A good end never justifies evil means. You will not make excuses for evil, nor will you turn a blind eye to evil because it is not your problem nor ignore the effects of it because it actually gives a result that you like. You will stare the abuse of power straight in the face and command it.

Third Temptation: Ends from the exercise of power never justify the means.