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Vice and Virtue: Glory and Simplicity

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent eventually persuaded Adam and Eve to turn from God and eat from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with the words, ‘you will be like God’. The temptation of self-glorification was too much for them to resist. They chose the path of sinful glory rather than choosing the path of trust and obedience.

It should not surprise us then, that in Satan's last attempt to mislead Jesus, he would endeavour to employ a similar tactic. If it worked on the first Adam, surely it would work on the second?

We read in Matthew 4:8-9a: ‘Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “All this I will give you,” he said.’

What an offer! Jesus could claim his inheritance before his Father's timing. The world was literally at his fingertips—all the glory, all the fame! He could be like God without walking the roads of Palestine, navigating the complexities of life on earth, enduring hardships, picking up his cross, or facing the pain of calvary. Everything he could ever want or imagine could be his without the need to wait or trust God.

But there was a small catch. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

At this moment, Satan revealed his hand. Satan demonstrated that his deepest desire is the same as ours—to be like God. Jesus could bypass his Father, step out of the Spirit's leading, and claim his glory.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism claims that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Our greatest temptation is to negate our truest call to bring glory to God and enjoy him forever. According to the devil, we can have our deepest desires satisfied: glory, fame, honour, and prestige—all that the devil asks from us is to bypass our heavenly Father and step out of the Spirit's leading.

We have often given into this temptation within our churches. Could it be that we want to feel the glory and appreciation of others more than the warm embrace of God's love?

Jesus responded: ‘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.’

In his moment of great temptation, Jesus chose to do what Adam and Eve did not.

He chose to exercise simple trust in his Father, simple obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and simple faith in the word of God.

Simplicity circumnavigates complexity.

If we seek to protect ourselves from the vice of glory, let us walk in the virtue of simplicity.