He stood up and looked around. Ah, there he was sitting. He padded the sand of his black clothes and walked towards the man. Good, there was a large stone in front of him so he could sit there. The man sat there, not saying a word with his eyes closed and his lips cloved. He decided to cough to let his presence known. The man almost had a heart attack.
"Who are you?" he asked, "I though I would be here alone."
"So you're the Nazarean. You think this is the way to be tested?" he gested around him to the wide desert. "There's nothing here, this is the easiest way out!"
"I... I don't understand."
"Off course not, these days in the desert prove you have a strong body, but He don't care about that, He wants to know how strong you are up here," he tapped his head as illustration, "and in a desert you can't show that."
"Did he send you to help me?"
He started laughing, and couldn't almost stop.
"No, he didn't send me, although I knew my presence here was required."
"How? Who are you?"
"I know everything. I was one of the five Archangels."
"Was?"
"When God created mankind, they needed a leader, and because I was the Archangel of knowledge, I was chosen. I didn't want the job because I knew mankind would mess up, but He didn't like it I said it. So he casted me out."
"You're...?"
"I'm Lucifer, the fallen angel."
"You're the one who opposed God, who defied Him!" the man looked at him in disbelief.
"I said no."
"You're the devil."
"So it seems."
"What do you want with me?"
"Like I said, this is a test. You have to resist temptation."
"What temptation?"
"Like I said, it's easy to resist temptation when there's nothing tempting you, but that's where I come in. You look hungry and thirsty, how long have you been here?"
"Thirteen days." The man said.
"Wow, you must be hungry. Here take this."
A dish appeared before Jesus. He moved his hand a bit, just stopping the urge to take the meat on the plate.
"Why do you do this?"
"To tempt you," Lucifer sighed, "of course, there's a catch. If you take whatever I give you, you forsake your destiny and I get your soul after you die."
"My destiny?"
Lucifer nodded.
"You give up your status as His prophet and when you die, you don't go to the paradise you're preaching about."
"Why do you do this?"
"Because of what He has already told you. You're the only prophet that appeared in a long time. Did you know some people even think you are His son?" Lucifer laughed at the stupidity of people.
"I won't take the food. Many people are counting on me. Besides, another seven days and I can leave."
"No food? Very well," the dish disappeared, "but then, what about women?"
Several women appeared from behind him, all of them dressed as the women he saw as a child in Egypt. He closed his eyes and threw himself to the ground.
"NO!" he shouted, "let your wenches be gone!"
"Why? I took them out of your memory."
"I was a boy when I saw these women, a small child. I had no idea of my destiny then. I do not want them."
The women vanished as Lucifer stood up and reached for Jesus at his feet.
"Come here."
Jesus looked at him, questioning the hand.
"You won't be corrupted if you touch me, don't worry, I promise. And my promises count, I'm still an angel."
Jesus took his hand and Luficer drew him up. The surroundings fell down underneath them untill they looked over a beautiful city.
"Behold the new Jerusalem, free of Romans."
"Is this the future?" Jesus whispered.
"No, but it can be, if you give up being a prophet."
"No, no, I can't do that."
"Forsake, and I'll make you king of Jerusalem."
"No, I don't need to be king."
They returned to the earth and came in front of a nice house with a few trees.
"How about your parents. Do they come by now? Wouldn't life be a lot easier if they didn't have to worry about money anymore?"
Jesus watched the house, his father said many times he wanted some trees in their garden, but they even had barely a garden.
"No, no matter what, I will not give up!" Jesus shouted. "Too many people depend on me!"
Lucifer sighed.
"I know."
They were back in the desert.
"If you knew, then why did you try to tempt me?"
"To convince Him," he pointed upward, "you see, He may know everything, but not what people will do. He excluded Himself from your minds, or you wouldn't have free will."
Lucifer looked around once more and than looked at Jesus.
"Well, it seems I gave you food, women, power and money, and you refused them all, there's nothing more I can do. You'll do good kid, good luck."
Lucifer turned around and walked away.
"Wait!"
Lucifer turned his attention back to Jesus, knowing what he was going to say.
"You... you can have my soul..." Jesus stammered, "if... if you'll give my destiny to someone else."
Lucifer shook his head slowly and started to walk away again.
"Sorry, kid, I can't do that."
"You have to," Jesus shouted, "I can't do it! Too many people depend on me! I can't take the pressure! I'll crack! Come back! I don't want it! Give it to somebody else! I don't want this responsibility! I can't do it!"
"Wish I could, kid, I really do." Lucifer whispered and felt sorry for this man whom many people considered their savior, but even Lucifer didn't know yet if he could do it. Being charged by God to save a whole nation alone, without somewhere to go to, that's a big responsability, one that's too big to put on the shoulders of one man. He vanished in the air and left Jesus crying. He didn't know what to do know, wondering if he now had given into temptation and decided to double his time in the desert to 40 days to purge himself of his thoughts.
"Who are you?" he asked, "I though I would be here alone."
"So you're the Nazarean. You think this is the way to be tested?" he gested around him to the wide desert. "There's nothing here, this is the easiest way out!"
"I... I don't understand."
"Off course not, these days in the desert prove you have a strong body, but He don't care about that, He wants to know how strong you are up here," he tapped his head as illustration, "and in a desert you can't show that."
"Did he send you to help me?"
He started laughing, and couldn't almost stop.
"No, he didn't send me, although I knew my presence here was required."
"How? Who are you?"
"I know everything. I was one of the five Archangels."
"Was?"
"When God created mankind, they needed a leader, and because I was the Archangel of knowledge, I was chosen. I didn't want the job because I knew mankind would mess up, but He didn't like it I said it. So he casted me out."
"You're...?"
"I'm Lucifer, the fallen angel."
"You're the one who opposed God, who defied Him!" the man looked at him in disbelief.
"I said no."
"You're the devil."
"So it seems."
"What do you want with me?"
"Like I said, this is a test. You have to resist temptation."
"What temptation?"
"Like I said, it's easy to resist temptation when there's nothing tempting you, but that's where I come in. You look hungry and thirsty, how long have you been here?"
"Thirteen days." The man said.
"Wow, you must be hungry. Here take this."
A dish appeared before Jesus. He moved his hand a bit, just stopping the urge to take the meat on the plate.
"Why do you do this?"
"To tempt you," Lucifer sighed, "of course, there's a catch. If you take whatever I give you, you forsake your destiny and I get your soul after you die."
"My destiny?"
Lucifer nodded.
"You give up your status as His prophet and when you die, you don't go to the paradise you're preaching about."
"Why do you do this?"
"Because of what He has already told you. You're the only prophet that appeared in a long time. Did you know some people even think you are His son?" Lucifer laughed at the stupidity of people.
"I won't take the food. Many people are counting on me. Besides, another seven days and I can leave."
"No food? Very well," the dish disappeared, "but then, what about women?"
Several women appeared from behind him, all of them dressed as the women he saw as a child in Egypt. He closed his eyes and threw himself to the ground.
"NO!" he shouted, "let your wenches be gone!"
"Why? I took them out of your memory."
"I was a boy when I saw these women, a small child. I had no idea of my destiny then. I do not want them."
The women vanished as Lucifer stood up and reached for Jesus at his feet.
"Come here."
Jesus looked at him, questioning the hand.
"You won't be corrupted if you touch me, don't worry, I promise. And my promises count, I'm still an angel."
Jesus took his hand and Luficer drew him up. The surroundings fell down underneath them untill they looked over a beautiful city.
"Behold the new Jerusalem, free of Romans."
"Is this the future?" Jesus whispered.
"No, but it can be, if you give up being a prophet."
"No, no, I can't do that."
"Forsake, and I'll make you king of Jerusalem."
"No, I don't need to be king."
They returned to the earth and came in front of a nice house with a few trees.
"How about your parents. Do they come by now? Wouldn't life be a lot easier if they didn't have to worry about money anymore?"
Jesus watched the house, his father said many times he wanted some trees in their garden, but they even had barely a garden.
"No, no matter what, I will not give up!" Jesus shouted. "Too many people depend on me!"
Lucifer sighed.
"I know."
They were back in the desert.
"If you knew, then why did you try to tempt me?"
"To convince Him," he pointed upward, "you see, He may know everything, but not what people will do. He excluded Himself from your minds, or you wouldn't have free will."
Lucifer looked around once more and than looked at Jesus.
"Well, it seems I gave you food, women, power and money, and you refused them all, there's nothing more I can do. You'll do good kid, good luck."
Lucifer turned around and walked away.
"Wait!"
Lucifer turned his attention back to Jesus, knowing what he was going to say.
"You... you can have my soul..." Jesus stammered, "if... if you'll give my destiny to someone else."
Lucifer shook his head slowly and started to walk away again.
"Sorry, kid, I can't do that."
"You have to," Jesus shouted, "I can't do it! Too many people depend on me! I can't take the pressure! I'll crack! Come back! I don't want it! Give it to somebody else! I don't want this responsibility! I can't do it!"
"Wish I could, kid, I really do." Lucifer whispered and felt sorry for this man whom many people considered their savior, but even Lucifer didn't know yet if he could do it. Being charged by God to save a whole nation alone, without somewhere to go to, that's a big responsability, one that's too big to put on the shoulders of one man. He vanished in the air and left Jesus crying. He didn't know what to do know, wondering if he now had given into temptation and decided to double his time in the desert to 40 days to purge himself of his thoughts.