Tuesday for the Fourth Week of Lent
After di devil carry Jesus go up di mountain and show Am di splendour of di kingdoms for this world, e tell Am, “I go give You all these things, if You go bow down worship me” (Matthew 4:9). This temptation be like something wey di devil try out of desperation.
Just as Jesus no go ever worship Satan, na so we fit hope to talk di same thing about every follower of Christ. But if we use di way di world dey judge things, di “reward” wey di evil one offer na something wey big well-well. “I go give You all these things…” Imagine say you gain di whole world for yourself. Imagine say na you get money pass everybody for di world, you fit travel go anywhere with your own private jet, you get plenty luxury houses, presidents and rulers dey listen to you, and you fit enjoy di very best of everything wey this world fit offer. If dem get di chance, most people no go hesitate to collect this kind gift. But wetin dem go lose because of am?
Just after Jesus reveal to His apostles for di first time say E go suffer and die, E ask dem this question: “Wetin person go gain if e gain di whole world but lose im life?” (Matthew 16:26). Before E ask that question, Jesus talk say, “Anybody wey want follow Me must deny imself, carry im cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).
Di difference between wetin Jesus teach and wetin Satan offer dey striking well-well. Worship Satan, and you go receive everything wey this world fit offer. Worship Jesus, and dem go give you cross, you must deny yourself, and lose yourself because of Jesus. Which one you choose?
Even though e no likely say any serious Christian go ever consider to worship Satan, many times we dey face temptation to put arusi for our life above Jesus’ invitation to embrace di Cross, suffer, and die. Many times, di temptations wey di evil one dey bring come meet us na hidden forms of this full temptation wey e bring give Jesus. Satan go put different arusi before us with false promise of happiness for this world as reward. Money na di clearest example. Di evil one dey talk say, “Money go make you happy,” and plenty people believe am. But on di other hand, di devil dey often talk say, “To make sacrifices for life go make you miserable,” and plenty people believe that one too.
To worship false arusi na real temptation, because these arusi fit give rewards wey person go enjoy immediately. Di false arusi wey common for today world include money, property, power, high position, pleasure for body, pride, to focus only on yourself, to hold on to false teachings, and to let work, things wey you like to do for leisure, or social media take over your mind, or to turn another person to arusi. Each of these fit enter in a way wey no easy to notice, as di evil one go first make dem look attractive, only to gradually draw us away from Christ and di Cross, wey dey call us to love wey dey make sacrifice.
Think deeply about those things for your life wey stand between you and Jesus’ invitation to carry your cross, deny yourself, and follow Am. Wetin dey attract you wey dey make you turn away from life and love wey involve sacrifice? Wetin you dey treat as arusi more than di Cross? Reject those deceits wey no easy to notice and their false promises of happiness, and choose di Cross with our Lord so that you go gain di true glory of di riches of Heaven.
My Lord wey face temptation, You reject Satan’s foolish invitation to worship am and receive all di wealth and power for this world in exchange. Too many times for life, I dey choose di road wey easy pass, wey dey comfort me pass, and wey dey allow me satisfy myself pass, instead of to embrace Your Cross out of love. Help me see di wisdom wey dey for choosing to deny myself and follow You, so that I go share fully for di rewards wey na only You promise me, as I reject di arusi of this world wey no go last. Jesus, na You I trust.
See also: Dei Twenti-Four: 40 Days for di Foot of di Cross