Lesson Fifteen - The Showboating Temptation

…and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down…

Many ministers of God should be familiar with the temptation to do the dramatic to showcase the anointing of God upon themselves. Indeed many might have fallen several times for this old trick and some might have gone on to justify such slips, leading their own selves further away from the ways of the modest Saviour. They think ministry must be entered upon noticeably and miracles done of God by their hands must be endlessly recounted, and all acts of service must be noticed and applauded.

Such humouring of the ego does only a disservice to the ministry as a fixation with recognition is an almost insatiable hunger that feeds on several flesh-minded and financially and spiritually costly public relations gimmicks. It also draws the minister away from needful spirituality, rendering him inflexible for God’s use. They would rather operate in that in which people have already recognised them than heed of the call of God to do real service in a seemingly unnoticeable area. And when the anointing or permission for such miracles has long ended, they risk ending up as fakes, completely trapped!

This is a double-barrel test. We learn here that Satan tries to use the change of scene together with the virtually flawless quoting of Psalm 91verses 11 and 12 to bamboozle the Lord into tripping. The scripture he quotes is accurate, but what he required Jesus to do was out of context with the Spirit of the scripture. God has really made a great many promises concerning His sons and He delivers on them when they are really in need of their fulfilment. His angels really constantly bear His children up against malicious stones. But would God really save His children from stones they wilfully attempt to kick? Those of us entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation ought to be on the lookout for this enticement to showmanship that so often leads to accepting faith-smashing challenges.