Bless Us Four and No More

Satan smirked, squinting in the sunlight.

He hated the sun, almost as much as he hated the dirt. But violence, fear, pain? These he loved. And he was about to witness and influence some more.

He became aware of someone standing behind him, and he turned. It was Him—the dead Man who had come alive again.

“Well, well,†Satan said, remembering their last meeting in the wilderness. “Come to reconsider my offer?â€

“I don’t think so!†The Man laughed, and the sound chilled the devil to his core. When he had offered the kingdoms of the world to this Man, He had been starving, barely alive from the heat and deprivation. Now He stood hale, whole, and fiercely amused.

Satan snapped his fingers, summoning the empires and rulers and powers of the world. They came from all corners of the globe, stirred by his irresistible call. They came from state rooms, golf courses, military bases, and slums. They rode on planes, jets, helicopters, horses, trucks, and tanks. The dust from their passage rose into heaven.

The Man stood alone against the vast army, still smiling. “Satan, you once offered me the world,†He said. “But ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.’â€

Satan snarled. He hated this man even more than he hated chocolate. He raised his hand to order a barrage of nuclear missiles. That’s when he froze, unable to move. His armies too were frozen into place.

The Man started walking away, singing as He went.

Satan tried to move, tried to stop Him. But he was unable to. He was powerless. Like always. • Kevin Zeller

• Why do you think Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world?

• What sort of implications does Christ’s ownership of the world have in our lives?

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Galatians 6:10; James 2:1-4, 8