Laurie Beth Jones in “Jesus, CEO” writes:
“Jesus knew his mission statement, and he did not deviate from it. He declared that his mission was, in essence, to teach people about a better way of life. He saw himself as a teacher and a healer.
An ancient adage says “If you want to defeat them, distract them.” In the wilderness Jesus was given several “business opportunities” that did not relate to his mission.
Each of these opportunities was related to talents that Jesus has, and used, in some form or another during his tenure. But he resisted them because they did not fit his mission statement.
Pause for a moment and consider the things Jesus did not do. Here is someone endowed with limitless power from on high. He could have done literally anything. Yet he did not build a temple or a synagogue. He did not write or distribute books. He did not even heal all the sick people in the world. He did not go down to the graveyards and raise everyone from the dead. He did not build shopping malls. His mission was very specific.
Jesus stuck to his mission.”