Temptation In The Wilderness
TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS
MATTHEW 4:1-11
How can the way Jesus responded to temptations help us to deal with ours?
The temptation must be understood in the light of the baptism: the repeated “If you are the Son of God” (4:3,6) harks back to “This is my beloved Son” (3:17). “God has called you his Son,” it is implied; “make him show that he means what he says; put him to the test.” The Spirit that descended on Jesus at his baptism leads him into the wilderness to be tempted; this is part of his appointed probation. Here too, the Messiah recapitulates the history of the messianic people. God’s purpose in leading Israel “these forty years in the wilderness” was “that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). That Jesus recognized this correspondence is indicated by his rebuffing the temptation three times from the context of Deuteronomy which includes these words. “You are the Son of God,” says the tempter; “very well, you have unlimited power at your disposal; use it for your own advantage. Turn these flat stones into the cakes of bread that they so much resemble, and satisfy your hunger.” The reply, “Scripture says” (4:4, NEB), quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 to express Jesus’ resolve to act in response to his Father’s direction and not from motives of self-interest.
“You are the Son of God,” comes the tempter’s voice again; “do something spectacular and compel him to intervene miraculously on your behalf. Throw yourself down from the temple roof into the Kidron ravine; no harm will come to you, for Scripture says that his angels by his command will see to it that you don’t even stub your toe against a rock—if you can quote Scripture, so can I” (and Psalm 91:11f. is pressed into service). Jesus’ reply this time (quoting Deuteronomy 6:16) is a refusal to do the very thing that Israel repeatedly did in that earlier “day of temptation in the wilderness” when, says God, they “tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work” (Psalm 95:9; cf. Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 14:22f.).
The third temptation invites Jesus to attain the world dominion which was the Messiah’s traditional heritage (cf. Psalm 72:8) on the devil’s terms and by his well-tested methods. Many a would-be world conqueror before and since has sold himself to the devil thus to achieve his ends. The worship and service of the true God alone, prescribed in the words of Deuteronomy 6:13 with which Jesus repels this temptation, meant for him obedience to the heavenly voice which marked out the path of the Servant as his messianic way. World-empire more secure and permanent than any other conqueror has won has come to him in consequence, but it has come to him by way of suffering and death (cf. 28:18). The ministry of angels (4:11) anticipates his present lordship over “angels, authorities and powers” (1 Peter 3:22).