Week 25—Tuesday Matthew 4:1-11
Week 25—TUESDAY
THE WORD BECAME OUTER PORTENT
We now turn back and look at the temptation in the wilderness in the light of our study. It stands out as a master strategy on the part of the Adversary—it was an attempt to get Jesus to adopt the Word become word—not the Word become flesh. He resisted the temptation; we have fallen into it. It did not succeed with him—it has succeeded with us.
The Tempter said when Jesus was hungry, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” The proof of his being the Son of God would be that he could perform miracles—turn bread into stones. That is the Word become miracle. The second said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” from the pinnacle of the temple. This was the Word become presumption, making God toe the line. The third said, after showing Jesus the kingdoms of the world, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:1-10). This is the Word become worldly wisdom—get to your ends by any method, or means.
Not one of these suggested the Word become flesh. For if the Tempter had suggested that, it would not have been a temptation—it would have been fulfillment.
Jesus went straight from the wilderness to the little synagogue and announced his program:
The spirit of the Lord is upon me . . .
to announce good news . . . ,
to proclaim release . . . recovery of sight . . .;
to let the broken victims go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
And then after rolling up the scroll, he said: “Today, in your very hearing this text has come true” (Luke 4:18-21, NEB). In other words, “This word of Scripture has become flesh. The program is in me and not in outer dazzling miracles which startle, but do not save.” The choice was made. If Jesus had succumbed to the temptation to make the Word become word, we would never have heard of him again.
O Lord, Savior, your steps did not falter. Your heart was true. So we cannot forget you. And the kingdoms of the world will become the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior just because you would not try to get them by wrong means. We thank you. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Wrong means will get me to wrong ends—inevitably.