“The Imperative of Right Timing”
Matthew 4:12-25
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” [Matthew 4:1]
In baseball, the key to hitting is timing. The form and technique of a swing are also important, but without timing even a perfect swing will come up empty. That is why a good pitcher will change up speeds. Changing speeds throws off a batter’s timing.
The devil is the best off-speed pitcher in this life of faith. He changes up things so we either get ahead or behind God’s best for us. And he does this through temptation.
Last week we saw how one of the temptations presented to Jesus was to expedite His authority over the world. “All these things I will give You [‘all the kingdoms of the world’] if You will fall down and worship me [Satan].”
In a practical sense, temptation is simply a bad offer. That was a bad offer primarily because of its source, but also because it was premature. Jesus would come again to rule and reign in His Father’s time, but for now He must go to the Cross. So rather than entertain the offer, Jesus resisted it. “Resist the devil and he will flee...” [Jms 4:7] Jesus resisted and “then the devil left Him.” [Matt 4:11] It is the same dynamic for us. The devil flees when we resist [the opposite of entertain] temptation.
And so now the time is for Jesus’ ministry. It had been 30 years of growing from an infant to an adult. God Incarnate waited 30 years to begin His public ministry! For some of us we cannot even wait 30 days. But it is God’s perfect will, way, and timing that would be exercised. “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee” to begin His ministry. John the Baptist came first. He was the precursor. His ministry must be completed; then Jesus would depart to Galilee to begin His.
Notice our Lord’s humility. There was no public attention given Him for most of His life on earth. Only at the precise time, after John’s ministry was complete, did He begin His. If God Incarnate can wait for God’s best; might we do the same?
Wait on the Lord and you can be sure that He will establish in you His finest!
