Matthew 4,1-11.
Matthew’s account of the temptations of Jesus differs from Luke’s in the way he inverts the order of the second and third temptation. Matthew’s second temptation is Luke’s third and vice versa. Both evangelists amplify with similar details the meagre reference to the temptations in Mark. After his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days, a clear evocation of the forty years Israel spent being tested in the Sinai desert after the Exodus, before entering the Promised Land.
Jesus is sustained by the Spirit during his forty days fast. The temptations happen at the end of the fast. It is no surprise that the first temptation should be about food. Hypothetically alluding to Jesus’ sonship, which was confirmed by the heavenly voice at his baptism, the devil wants Jesus to misuse his divine power as Son of God to change the stones into bread for his own selfish advantage. Jesus rebuffs the temptation be quoting Deut. 8,3 “man does not live on bread alone but on everything which comes from the mouth of God.” Mt changes “everything” of Deut. 8,3 into “every word” in his reply to the devil. The Son of God anchors everything in his life on the word and will of God in contrast to the expediency and selfishness which the devil suggests.
For the second temptation there is a change of scene from the desert to the Temple in the “holy city”. The Temple is the spiritual heart of Israel. This temptation follows from Jesus’ reply to the devil in the first temptation expressing his trust in God’s word. By quoting God’s word from Ps 91,11-12, the devil tries to get Jesus to wantonly test God protection for him by jumping from the highest point of the temple. The plan is to subvert Jesus’ mission by getting him to show his and the God’s miraculous powers and thereby become more desired for his wonders than for his Word/teaching. That temptation surfaced regularly in the expectations of people about Jesus and followed him to Calvary – “If you are the Son of God come down from the Cross” (27,40). “Let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him.” (27,42). Jesus rebuffs the temptation by quoting Dt. 6,16 “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”
The third temptation occurs on a high mountain where all the kingdoms of the world can be surveyed. Any reference to Jesus being Son of God is omitted in this temptation. The two first temptations presumed Jesus had power to change the stones into bread etc. In the third temptation he is offered worldly power if he would worship the devil. The devil is rebuked, commanded to go, and rebuffed by another quote from Deut. (6,13), emphasising the importance of worshipping God alone and rejecting anything which compromises that.
The three temptations cover territory very familiar to most of us- selfishness, vanity, and power. They are closely linked, and appeal to a great many people. As in Jesus’ temptations, they come in their many different guises. When we listen to and ponder the word of God as Jesus did, we have a reliable guide in our choice of priorities and values in life.
Lent is a good time to take stock of how much time we give to Prayer each day.
Appropriately, today, candidates preparing to enter into full communion with the Church are affirmed in their choice to follow Christ more closely. Let us pray for them.
Fr Geoff O’Grady