There is a lot of debate over this passage. Why would the enemy even tempt Jesus? Could Jesus actually yield to the temptation? Didn’t Jesus as God own all this to begin with? Was this really the enemy’s right to give? 

Oh, so many questions which have no real answer and somehow these unanswerable questions cloud an important message. When I graduated from seminary I had this waking dream, you know the ones where you are half awake and half asleep. The Talmud teaches that these type of dreams are often prophetic. Be that as it may, to this day 50 years later, I still vividly recall this dream and the profound message I received. 

Like most seminary graduates I had dreams of being a pastor of a large church, having a TV and/or radio program, a Christian school, you know the whole ball of wax that would show you were one successful little preacher. I recall that morning when I had this waking dream. A voice spoke to me and said; “Here is your future.” Like a cloud above my head I saw myself 25 years in the future, pastor of a mega church, living in a mansion style home, driving a fancy car, flying in my personal plane or jet to speaking gigs around the world. Like I said, the whole ball of wax. Then the voice said; “All this I will give you, if you would just bow down and worship me.” 

Something was not right, almost sinister in that voice. But then another sweeter, softer voice showed me another path, a path filled with rocks, briars, obstacles. It was the road of heart break, financial struggle, no real fame or recognition. The voice simply said: “This road will lead you to My Heart.” Immediately I declared that this is the road I want to walk. For over 50 years I have been on that road searching for the heart of God. The first thing I learned when I entered the heart of God was that worship expects no reward. 

The word used for worship in this text in the Greek is proskuneo which is to bow down, prostrate oneself, humble yourself before another. Its origin comes from a dog licking (kissing) its master’s hand. Now come on, really? Do you think the enemy for a moment would believe he could get the Son of God to submit himself this way? In the Aramaic, the language of the disciples and Jesus the word is segod which means to bow and to prostrate oneself.  But it has another idea. Its origin lies in two brothers, the elder receiving the entire inheritance while the younger brother submits to the older. It shows the younger brother on his knees before the older brother in humility and submission. Then the eldest segods that is he humbles himself and says: “Even though it is our custom for the eldest to rule over the youngest, we are nonetheless equal and we will share equally in the estate. That is segod. 

I tend to believe that this is the  understanding of what the enemy was suggesting to Jesus. “Here is my world, I will give you equal share in my world and you give me equal shares in your realm and we will walk yadiyad – that is hand in hand. But God the Father declares that His only begotten Son will share in the inheritance and only those that His Son choses will share whatever he wishes with whomever He wishes. The point is, segod or worship is to love and honor Jesus because we love Him not to gain prosperity, fame or comforts. We do not worship him for a healing or even an answer to prayer. It is His discretion and His discretion alone that some are vessels of honorable use and some are of dishonorable use. 

I vowed at that time that I would not worship God with the expectation of healing, wealth, prosperity, fame or fortune. I would only worship Him in love, in the good times and the bad times, I will give Him praise and if it is just a cup of water He places in my hand, then that will be all I will demand.

Father in Heaven, I worship you only because I love you and my only request is yadiyad, that is as I journey through the sands of time, that your hand is holding mine.

Hi there! Thank you for reading this Daily Word Study. Can I ask a favor? Share this Daily Word Study with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking one of the icons below.

Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!