He asks for worship.  Did he really think that possibly Jesus would actually worship him?  The first flush answer is, surely not.  Yet he is putting the thing in a way that has secured actual worship from many a’one who would be horrified at such a blunt putting of his conduct.  We must shake off the caricature of a devil with pointed horns, and split hoof, and forked tail, and see the real, to understand better.  From all accounts he must be a being of splendor and beauty, of majestic bearing, and dignity.  His appeal in effect is this:—­These things are all mine.  You have in you the ingrained idea of a world-wide dominion over nature, and of ruling all men as God’s King.  Now, can’t we fix this thing up between us?  Let’s be friendly.  Don’t let’s quarrel over this matter of world dominion.

You acknowledge me as your sovereign.  You rule over all this under me.  I’ll stand next to God, and you stand next to me.  It’s a mere technical distinction, after all.  It’ll make no real change in your being a world-wide ruler, and it will make none with me either.  Each will have a fair share and place.  Let’s pull together.—­The thing sounds a bit familiar.  It seems to me I have heard it since somewhere, if I can jog up my memory.  It has raised a cloud of dust in many a man’s road, and blurred the clear outlines of the true plan—­has raised?—­is raising.

Jesus’ answer is imperative.  It is the word of an imperative.  He is the King already in His Father’s plan.  He replies with the sharp, imperial brevity of an emperor, a king of kings, “Get thee hence!” Begone!  The tempter obeys.  He knows his master.  He goes.  Biting his teeth upon his hot spittle, utterly cowed, he slinks away.  Only one Sovereign, Jesus says.  All dominion held properly only by direct dependence upon Him, direct touch with Him, full obedience to Him.  No compromise here.  No mixing of issues.  Simple, direct relation to God, and every other relation through that.  No short cuts for Jesus.  They do but cut with deep gashes the man who cuts.  The “short” describes the term of his power, a short shrift.

When the devil has used up all his ammunition—.  That’s a comfort.  There is an end to the devil if we will but quietly hold on.  Every arrow shot.  Not a cartridge left.  Yet he is not entirely through with Jesus.  He has retired to reform the broken lines.  He’ll melt up the old bullets into different shape.  They have been badly battered out of all shape by striking on this hard rock.  He’s a bit shaken himself.  This Jesus is something new.  When he can get his wind he will come back.  He came back many times.  Once through ignorant Peter with the loaf temptation in new shape, once through His mother’s loving fears with the emotional temptation, and through the earnest, hungry Greeks, and the bread-full thousands with the kingdom temptation.  Yet the edge of His sword is badly nicked, and never regains its old edge.