Necessary

Matthew 18:7 ESV

Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes.

“Because I said so.” Seems to have gone out of style. It harkens to authority and the admission that you don’t have it and someone else does. It might be parents, boss, or elders in the church, but in the end when it is used it holds to the reality that someone has authority over someone else. And so, parents are told they need to explain all their reasons to their children. Employers are encouraged to make a friendly work environment by giving reasons to everything. What do we do then if we have never been trained to understand that we, like the centurion, are under authority? We fight with parents, employers and God himself.

My daily reading this morning brought this to the fore when Jesus tells us that “it is necessary that temptations come.” Jesus does not seek to explain why the snake was in the garden. He does not explain why David was allowed into Saul’s camp but not supposed to kill him. He does not walk through the reasons God sits on his throne and we do not. He simply says “it is necessary”. Later in Matthew Jesus outlines that someone had to betray the Christ, he says “as it is written of him, but woe to that man…it would have been better if he had not been born.” It was necessary that they fall to temptations but woe to him.

Temptations come to us from every direction. Yet, God tells us to beware not to be the means of someone’s temptation. The snake was responsible for allowing himself to be the means of man’s destruction, and suffered the curse for it. The Amalekite would allow himself to be the means of Saul’s death, would suffer the penalty for his disregard (It should be noted the armor-bearer refused to be the means of Saul’s destruction).  Judah was responsible for falling to temptation and becoming the means of Christ’s betrayal. We understand that the temptation to choose self over God is necessary in our lives. For God’s glory we must always have the opportunity to choose our way instead of his, until we are called home, but woe to those that present that opportunity.

Men will always have the opportunity to choose God’s design for intimacy (heterosexual monogamous marriage) or our own desires (any and all deviation). Men will be tempted to put our hope, happiness, and security into guns, politics, courts, spouse, bank accounts, or any number of things rather than God. Temptation will be present in your life, it is necessary that temptations come, that you might better glorify God. Just as it was necessary that David be brought before the sleeping Saul spear by his head to kill and take the kingdom, that David might glorify God by choosing not to. Waiting for GOD to accomplish what he had ordained for “the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.” (1 Sam 26:10)

The temptations you face today are necessary for you, but will you choose to be David or choose to be the Amalekite. Will you reach out your hand with Eve and take what God has nor ordained or wait for God to hand it to you as he wipes the tears from your eyes? Will you show your love for God by trusting him or show your love for yourself by choosing your own timing?

Coram Deo