ELOGOS for Monday

​Matthew 4:8-9
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 
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In the wilderness, Jesus is tempted. The devil tries with food, protection from pain, power, and wealth. All Jesus had to do, according to the devil, was to shift the address of his obedience. If one is willing to subject oneself to a higher power, why not choose one that sweetens the deal with everything a person could possibly want. Well, there is one thing that is missing in the devil's goodie bag. Relationships. Relationships are still the lifeblood of our identity. They cause us the most pain and the most joy. They are the vehicles for our moral fiber as human beings. They enrich our lives in ways that money can never touch. All the devil can offer that is a poor shadow of relationship as an invitation to bow down and worship him. There is no invitation to being One with God, of sharing the responsibility of care for the earth, of loving one another. What the devil doesn't get is that it isn't the promise of chicken soup that makes us feel better when we are sick. It is the tenderness of the one who holds the spoon. What the devil DOES understand is that sometimes we forget that. 
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Grant us all compassion, Lord, in everything we think and do. Amen.