Olympic Mockery

What was the point of the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics in Paris? Many Christians—and Jews, and Muslims—watched in horror as they re-enacted a famous depiction of the Last Supper with scantily clad, sexually suggestive actors, including children.

Was the point of this display to offend? The organizers have issued their "non-apology," stating they did not intend to offend anyone. Instead, they insist, they intended to include everyone. It’s a funny form of inclusion.

There is more here, however, than simply mocking Christianity.

Returning to the Temptation

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,'

and

'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.' 

And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'

Luke 4:9–12

Two questions should come to mind when reading Luke.

Why does Satan quote Psalm 91:11–12, which was applied to all Jews rather than the Messiah? Was Satan revealing this passage only relates to the Messiah?

Satan is not redefining Psalm 91:11–12 to apply to the Messiah alone. Satan uses the lesser to greater form of argument, saying: "If this is true of God's children (Israel), how much more will this be true of God's Son?"

What is the point of Satan's temptation? Why should Jesus jump from a high point on the Temple so the Father would send angels to catch him? What sin is Satan inducing Jesus to perform?

Satan's demand that Jesus throw himself down so God can protect him is sinful because it is a passive-aggressive attempt to manipulate God.

What Satan is saying here is something close to this: "Even if you try to destroy yourself, God will take care of you." Or, rephrasing:

Go ahead and sin! If God loves you, nothing bad will happen. Of course, if something bad happens, God doesn't love you, does he?

We often become so wrapped up in convincing atheists there is a God we forget there is another entire class of people who believe God exists and hate him. This second kind of person is not trying to prove God does not exist; they are trying to prove God is not good.

Of course God is good. He sent his unique Son to die on a Roman cross to do what no one else could do—atone for our sins, repairing our relationship with our Creator.

Is it Enough?

But these people don't think that is enough. God must send his Son to the cross and do more. God must accept us just as we are, loving and leaving us alone to prove he loves us. God must run behind us like the poor man sweeping after a parade. If God loves us, we'll get all the fun, and God will do all the work.

Real relationships do not work this way.

If you cheat on your spouse, they will rightly divorce you. If you steal from your employer, they will rightly fire you.  

These people often remind me of the kid who picks up everything in the store, throwing a tantrum when his mother tells him to stop. "If you loved me, Mom, you would let me throw this on the ground! If you loved me, Mom, you would let me buy that!"

This attitude is what we saw in the opening of the Olympics. We live in a generation like the one of which Jesus said:

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep. Luke 7:32

They are challenging God to either love them as they are—to accept their standards of good and evil—or to judge them.