“Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him: ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: ‘That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.’’ Jesus said to him: ‘It is written again: ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’’”
The devil then seeing that he was dealing with, at the very least, a holy man that could overcome the necessities of the body, thought to tempt Christ with empty glory. He lifted Jesus up, hoping that He would dash Himself to the ground. It is a figure of pride, that when the winds of oneself swell with ambition or being lifted up, it precedes a fall due to them thinking themselves to be mightier than they are. In thinking yourself to be successful, glorious, virtuous, you leave no room to be loved, as love is most manifest in the beloved’s weakest points. It is easy to love in the honeymoon, but love is most solemnly expressed in times when the beloved is at their lowest, for it is in those times that they most need love. This can take place even amongst the spiritual, thus the devil brings Jesus to the heights of the Jerusalem temple, for in much learning, an excellent way of life, etc., it is easy to lose sight of love and extol oneself. No, Jesus prefers to love you in your weaknesses, brokenness, and littleness, all because you are His, and in this you remain on the safety of the ground, rather than soaring high: “Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty” (Psalm 130:1). The enemy then uses divine Scripture in a malicious way, telling Jesus to throw Himself off of a building and to let the angels take care of it, whereas the verse is meant to show that the angels surround you in your walk to God, protecting your soul in ways you cannot see, keeping your love with the Trinity strong, and illuminating your mind to the things of the Lord. Your angel guardian is a dear friend, aiding you in the wedding feast that is your life, spending themselves that your love story may be as magnificent as possible and encouraging you when you feel that you cannot go through with what love is asking of you. Jesus then uses the Scriptures properly to refute the serpent, saying that no one should tempt the Lord God. This is to act in such a way that goes against good judgement, attempting to distinguish faith from reason, rather than letting the matters of faith fulfill and enlighten the natural faculties God has given you. You have been given a magnificent mind, capable of knowing the ways of the Lord and how He desires you to love, and part of this is to love with discernment: “For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it. I wisdom dwell in counsel, and ma present in learned thoughts” (Proverbs 8:11-12). It is in doing all you can for the Lord, “Give to the most High according to what he hath given to thee, and with a good eye do according to the ability of thy hands” (Ecclesiasticus 35:12), and letting love handle what is left undone. “Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Colossians 3:23). The only thing God desires of you is all of you, nothing more, yet nothing less. Give Him your whole heart and all you can do, and He will handle what you are incapable of doing.