My son has been convinced that he could trap a leprechaun. He’s built a number of traps, but no success yet. If I could be as adept at avoiding traps as the leprechaun, then my life would have been easier to date.
Matthew 4: 1- 11
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Even as a child, my son knows the elements of a good trap.
1) There must be bait, and it should look both real and appealing. Something must entice you to enter the trap. He’s tried a paper shamrock, gold colored water, and a gold coin to entice a potential leprechaun. When Satan was tempting Jesus, he tempted him with things that would appeal to him. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days – so the first temptation was to use Jesus’s power to turn rocks to bread. The second temptation was to throw himself down so that the angels would save him. The final temptation was earthly kingdoms. In each situation, the temptation was wrapped in half-truths to make it all the more appealing.
2) Ideally, you don’t see the danger associated with the trap. The leprechaun traps have cold water, sticky glue, and perilous pits in the toy car box so that the leprechaun that attempts to go for the lure will find himself unable to escape. Likewise, Satan asking Jesus to use his existing power for his own personal edification doesn’t seem much like danger on the surface. Thankfully, Jesus saw through the trap. If only we could be so wise when we are flattered and given half truths to mask the peril associated with going for the lure in the trap.
3) When you get ready to take the lure, then you realize that you are in too far. So many times, we take a steady path towards a trap only to realize that we’re in too far to exit.
My son created the leprechaun traps in innocence. The traps that lie in wait for us aren’t born of innocence. We don’t know what traps may be laid to attempt to ensnare us, but you can be assured that evil desires ensnarement.
With this in mind, my closing prayer for tonight is Psalms 41:9.
Psalms 41:9: Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me.