And he said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you fall down before me and worship me.”
Here and in the previous verse the third stage of the temptation is presented: Satan takes Jesus to a high mountain and shows him the kingdoms of the world, offering glory and authority without the path of the cross. The tempter tries to draw Jesus away from the Father’s will by offering power and outward greatness over this world, if he abandons the divine way and worships him. This is a temptation to gain the goal without obedience, authority without sacrifice. It is a test aimed at the deepest human desire for power and glory. This episode reveals how evil tries to conquer a person with illusory glory, promising what does not truly belong to him at all. Moreover, the glory of the world’s kingdoms that he displays is passing and empty, in contrast to God’s eternal kingdom.