The Temptation
“You don’t know who you are until you’re in a fight for your soul.”
In Matthew chapter 4, we get a recounting of Jesus' experience in the wilderness after his baptism. It's an interesting experience:
Then Jesus was led by the spirit up into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After he had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, he felt hungry. And the Tempter approached and said to him: “If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’”
Then the Devil took him along into the holy city, and he stationed him on the battlement of the temple and said to him: “If you are a son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: ‘He will give his angels a command concerning you,’ and, ‘They will carry you on their hands, so that you may not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him: “Again it is written: ‘You must not put Jehovah your God to the test.’”
Again the Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him: “All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”
Then the Devil left him, and look! angels came and began to minister to him.
It is an incredible account.
First Temptation – The Need for Bread
Man must live, not on bread alone...
The enemy's timing is a thing of genius. Jesus is no doubt physically reeling from what was the largest data download in history after having his memory of prehuman life restored and spending more than a month just processing that all. And I will always marvel at the idea of fasting for so long.
I probably need to research that a little deeper because I didn't realize we could go without nourishment for such an extended time. It is true that he was physically perfect, at the peak of what the human body and mind can achieve, but still, that's a lot.
Satan first appeals to a NEED. He knew Jesus needed nourishment, but rather than provide it, he tried to use that normal functional need as a weapon to ruin him. Insidious.
Jesus wisely and quickly points out that Jehovah is the only source we need and that no selfish pursuit can bring escape or happiness. It recognized the lie and relied on our God.
That's a good lesson for anyone. The source of most people's troubles comes from actions that they took to acquire something they felt they NEEDED: money, affection, drugs, lust—on and on. But I'll hazard a guess that we never need precisely what we think we do.
Second Temptation – An Appeal to Hubris
Do not put Jehovah to the test...
This one’s always struck me as strange—why would Jesus jump off a building just to prove he was protected? But maybe that’s the point. Faith isn’t a stunt. Satan was asking him to misuse God’s promise for a selfish show of power. But Jesus didn’t play that game. He reminded the enemy—and us—that trust in God isn’t about making him prove himself.
It is just a blatant attempt to get God's son to do a trick. 'Throw yourself off'. Satan clearly knew the prophecy that indicated Jesus would be attended to. But he thought maybe he would appeal to Jesus' pride? As in, 'yeah, it does say that and don't you forget it!'
But God's son didn't give him the pleasure. Instead he turned attention back to his Father with ‘You must not put Jehovah your God to the test.’
Third Temptation – The Power for Change
Jehovah your God you must worship...
And finally... the offer of the kingdoms of the world. If you think about it, this would potentially be a real test for Jesus. He knew what people were suffering and how the rulers were making it challenging. If he had seized that, he could have thought he would effect change. But, as in the last two tests, he kept the long view in sight.
Eventually, Jesus would be ruler of it all anyway. By waiting, he and every other human would suffer indescribable pains. But, eventually, that would all end and replaced with paradise with Jesus as King. What a powerful reminder to us to be ready to deny what seems like a potential short-term solution.
Lessons
Leaky vessels need the most filling
And the final line: Then the Devil left him, and look! angels came and began to minister to him.
I always overlooked that. It wasn't until Jesus firmly closed the door on any possibility of giving and even refusing to dwell on the possibilities of the temptations that Jehovah sent those angels to minister. To comfort, care and support.
When temptation comes—any temptation—it’s not enough to hesitate or say 'maybe not.' Jesus shows us the power of a firm 'no.' Only then did comfort arrive. And it’s the same with us: the faster we slam the door on distraction, the sooner we’ll feel Jehovah’s peace again.
It is a beautiful example of how to trust in our God and why we should.
Just a little while longer and this will all be wiped away. If you're like me, it can't come soon enough.
#memoir #journal #biblereading
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