“Deal? – Or No Deal?”
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matt. 4:1-11)
Perhaps you’ve seen the popular TV game show featuring a bald guy, a group of ladies each holding a briefcase, a banker, a contestant and a chance to win anything from $.50 to one million dollars? Evidently, the show, “Deal or No Deal?” has become so popular that it now has syndicated versions in forty other countries. The rules of the game are simple. There are 26 briefcases each containing a different cash prize. Contestants start by choosing one briefcase. They must then start opening and eliminating other cases, as they try to win the “big money.” As each round progresses, an unseen Banker tries to tempt the contestant to make a deal to sell their original case back to him and walk away with the cash he offers, or take the chance at winning a greater amount of cash by proceeding with the game. Chance, greed, guts and calculated risk management are the motivating forces that keep the game moving forward. Interestingly enough, “Deal? or No Deal?” has attracted the attention of mathematicians, statisticians and economists who have analyzed the risk factors the contestants face as they make their choices. According to Richard Thayler, a behavioral economist at the University of Chicago, “contestants who are unlucky in the early rounds are more likely to take more and greater risks as the game goes on. They frequently turn down the deal with the guaranteed pay off because it seems so much smaller than the dream prize they are still hoping to win.” He goes on to say, “In any another situation if a person was offered 10,000.00 free and clear – they would take it. But in this setting the deal often isn’t as appealing because of the high stakes that are involved.” In other words – greed most often gets the best of the contestants. It’s the foundational principle every type of gambling is built upon.
Actually, “Deal or No Deal” isn’t a new concept. In fact it’s the oldest trick in the book – literally. If you turn back to the very opening pages of the Bible, “Deal or No Deal” was the game the serpent played with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Take the fruit – don’t trust God – Your eyes will be opened and you can become a god,” said the serpent. “So what do you say? Deal? or no Deal?” Adam and Eve took the deal. It was an unbelievable poor choice with irrevocable consequences. They paid the price and regretted that decision for the rest of their lives.
In the passage above the devil was playing the same game with Jesus in the wilderness. He tempts Jesus several times trying to get the Messiah to make a deal. Notice the devil’s first word, “If.” The serpent always begins by trying to get you to doubt God’s reality for your life. Satan is saying, “If you are God’s Son, then why doesn’t God even provide bread for you? You should reject him because he has neglected your physical needs. Don’t worry about God the Father, focus on your needs and your desires. Use your great power to take care of yourself. What do you say? Deal or No Deal?” Jesus says, “No Deal. For it is written: man does not live on bread alone – but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In other words Jesus was saying, “I don’t need to worry about my physical needs because I trust the living truth spoken by the Living God. A man is better off to obey the Word of God on an empty stomach than distrust Him with a full one.” NO DEAL!
Satan tries again. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Satan is saying, “How about a little magic trick to attract a crowd? Let’s see something sensational that will impress everyone. How about it? Is it a deal?” The devil even pulls a verse of scripture out of context to twist it and make his idea seem more feasible. Jesus doesn’t fall for it. “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” In other words, “We’re not to tempt God with our own plans. Being the Son of God is not about doing magic tricks. We’re not to make stupid decisions and then assume God has to bail us out every time.” NO DEAL!
Lastly came the final test: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” “What do you say? Is it a deal?” Jesus didn’t fall for this either. He would never compromise the single most important reality in all the universe, that God and God alone is to be worshiped. He says, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” NO DEAL!
The devil lost all three rounds but he hasn’t thrown in the towel on the game as yet. Chances are you might be involved in playing a round of the game today as you face some temptation to step outside of God’s plan for your life. If you face some particular temptation today, what’s your choice going to be? When the temptor comes your way, follow the example of Jesus and say the words out loud, “NO DEAL!” Stand on what is written in the Word of God, keep your eyes on Christ and refuse any deal offered by the devil.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
Perhaps you’ve seen the popular TV game show featuring a bald guy, a group of ladies each holding a briefcase, a banker, a contestant and a chance to win anything from $.50 to one million dollars? Evidently, the show, “Deal or No Deal?” has become so popular that it now has syndicated versions in forty other countries. The rules of the game are simple. There are 26 briefcases each containing a different cash prize. Contestants start by choosing one briefcase. They must then start opening and eliminating other cases, as they try to win the “big money.” As each round progresses, an unseen Banker tries to tempt the contestant to make a deal to sell their original case back to him and walk away with the cash he offers, or take the chance at winning a greater amount of cash by proceeding with the game. Chance, greed, guts and calculated risk management are the motivating forces that keep the game moving forward. Interestingly enough, “Deal? or No Deal?” has attracted the attention of mathematicians, statisticians and economists who have analyzed the risk factors the contestants face as they make their choices. According to Richard Thayler, a behavioral economist at the University of Chicago, “contestants who are unlucky in the early rounds are more likely to take more and greater risks as the game goes on. They frequently turn down the deal with the guaranteed pay off because it seems so much smaller than the dream prize they are still hoping to win.” He goes on to say, “In any another situation if a person was offered 10,000.00 free and clear – they would take it. But in this setting the deal often isn’t as appealing because of the high stakes that are involved.” In other words – greed most often gets the best of the contestants. It’s the foundational principle every type of gambling is built upon.
Actually, “Deal or No Deal” isn’t a new concept. In fact it’s the oldest trick in the book – literally. If you turn back to the very opening pages of the Bible, “Deal or No Deal” was the game the serpent played with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Take the fruit – don’t trust God – Your eyes will be opened and you can become a god,” said the serpent. “So what do you say? Deal? or no Deal?” Adam and Eve took the deal. It was an unbelievable poor choice with irrevocable consequences. They paid the price and regretted that decision for the rest of their lives.
In the passage above the devil was playing the same game with Jesus in the wilderness. He tempts Jesus several times trying to get the Messiah to make a deal. Notice the devil’s first word, “If.” The serpent always begins by trying to get you to doubt God’s reality for your life. Satan is saying, “If you are God’s Son, then why doesn’t God even provide bread for you? You should reject him because he has neglected your physical needs. Don’t worry about God the Father, focus on your needs and your desires. Use your great power to take care of yourself. What do you say? Deal or No Deal?” Jesus says, “No Deal. For it is written: man does not live on bread alone – but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In other words Jesus was saying, “I don’t need to worry about my physical needs because I trust the living truth spoken by the Living God. A man is better off to obey the Word of God on an empty stomach than distrust Him with a full one.” NO DEAL!
Satan tries again. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Satan is saying, “How about a little magic trick to attract a crowd? Let’s see something sensational that will impress everyone. How about it? Is it a deal?” The devil even pulls a verse of scripture out of context to twist it and make his idea seem more feasible. Jesus doesn’t fall for it. “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” In other words, “We’re not to tempt God with our own plans. Being the Son of God is not about doing magic tricks. We’re not to make stupid decisions and then assume God has to bail us out every time.” NO DEAL!
Lastly came the final test: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” “What do you say? Is it a deal?” Jesus didn’t fall for this either. He would never compromise the single most important reality in all the universe, that God and God alone is to be worshiped. He says, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” NO DEAL!
The devil lost all three rounds but he hasn’t thrown in the towel on the game as yet. Chances are you might be involved in playing a round of the game today as you face some temptation to step outside of God’s plan for your life. If you face some particular temptation today, what’s your choice going to be? When the temptor comes your way, follow the example of Jesus and say the words out loud, “NO DEAL!” Stand on what is written in the Word of God, keep your eyes on Christ and refuse any deal offered by the devil.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 12:18 PM
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