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The Temptation in the Wilderness

Matt 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13 · Beginning of the ministry

Scripture

Matthew 4:1–11

hen was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

King James Version · public domain

Mateu 4:1–11

tëhere Jisuj upru ndë shkretëtirët prej Frymësë, që të ngitej prej djallit. 2Edhe si agjëroj dy-zet dit e dy-zet net, pastaj i erdhi uri. 3Edhe ay që nget erdhi tek ay e tha, Ndë je i bir’ i Perëndisë, thuaj të bënenë bukë këta gurë. 4Po ay upërgjeq e tha, Eshtë shkruarë, “Njeriu nukë dotë ronjë me bukë vetëmë, po me çdo farë fjale që del nga goj’ e Perëndisë.” 5Atëherë djalli e merr me vetëhe ndë qytett të-shënjtëruarë, edhe e vuri përmbi fletëzët të hieroresë, 6edhe i thot’ ati, Ndë je i bir’ i Perëndisë, hidhu poshtë; sepse është shkruarë, “Se dot’ urdhëronjë ëngjëjt’ e ti për ty edhe dotë të ngrenë ty mbi duart, që të mos përpjekç këmbënë t’ënde mbë gur.” 7Jisuj i tha ati, përsëri është shkruarë, “Të mos ngaç Zotinë Perëndinë t’ënt.” 8Përsëri djalli e merr me vetëhe mbë një mal shumë të-lartë, edhe i dëften gjithë mbretërit’ e botësë edhe lavdin’ e atyre, 9e i thotë, Të gjitha këto dotë t’i ap tyj, ndë rënç të më falesh. 10Atëhere Jisuj i thot’ ati, Ikë prej meje, Satana; sepse është shkruarë, “Zotit Perëndisë t’ënt dot’ i falesh, edhe vetëm ati do t’i lutesh.” 11Atëherë djalli e le atë; edhe ja ëngjëjtë tek erdhë përanë e i shërbeninë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

And observe, I pray, how the nature of man in Christ casts off the faults of Adam's gluttony: by eating we were conquered in Adam, by abstinence we conquered in Christ.

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Sermon 12 (on Luke 4:1–13)

The Temptation in the Wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 13 (on Matthew 4:1–11) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XIII.html

On why the Spirit led Him up to wrestle with the devil, that the baptized might not be dismayed at temptation:

For since with a view to our instruction He both did and underwent all things; He endures also to be led up thither, and to wrestle against the devil: in order that each of those who are baptized, if after his baptism he have to endure greater temptations may not be troubled as if the result were unexpected, but may continue to endure all nobly, as though it were happening in the natural course of things.

On the hunger, and fasting as a shield against the devil:

For not in his fast, but in his hunger he approaches Him; to instruct thee how great a good fasting is, and how it is a most powerful shield against the devil

On overcoming not by miracles but by Scripture and long-suffering:

teaching us that we must overcome the devil, not by miracles, but by forbearance and long-suffering, and that we should do nothing at all for display and vainglory.

On the three temptations as the root of all evils:

For the things that form the substance of innumerable evils are these: to be a slave to the belly, to do anything for vainglory, to be in subjection to the madness of riches.

On the angels who came only after the victory was won:

For when the assault was going on, He suffered them not to appear, that He might not thereby drive away the prey; but after He had convicted him in all points, and caused him to take to flight, then they appear: that thou also mayest learn, that after thy victories which are copied from His, angels will receive thee also, applauding thee, and waiting as guards on thee in all things.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 12 (on Luke 4:1–13) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, Library of Fathers, 1859. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_02_sermons_12_25.htm

On the Lord armed with fasting before the conflict, set before us as our pattern:

But observe this especially: that he was first baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, and withdrew into the wilderness, and made abstinence, that is, fasting, as it were His armour; and being thus equipped, when Satan drew near, and He had overcome him, He has so set before us Himself as our pattern.

On the new Adam conquering where the first Adam fell:

And observe, I pray, how the nature of man in Christ casts off the faults of Adam's gluttony: by eating we were conquered in Adam, by abstinence we conquered in Christ.

On "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God", and Satan cast out of his usurped dominion:

For before His advent, Satan had deceived all under heaven, and was himself everywhere worshipped: but the law of God, ejecting him from the dominion he had usurped by fraud, has commanded men to worship Him only Who by nature and in truth is God, and to offer service to Him alone.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

On the Trinity, Book 4; Sermon 210 (on Matthew 4:1–11) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.iv.html

On why He offered Himself to temptation:

Why did He offer Himself to temptation? That He might be our mediator in vanquishing temptation not by aid only, but by example.

On the season for fasting, when the conflict with the tempter is sore:

But when the conflict with the tempter is sore, then we ought to fast, that the body may fulfil its warfare by chastisement, and the soul obtain victory by humiliation.

St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 4:1–11) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.iv.html

On "led up of the Spirit", not as a prisoner but by desire for the conflict:

"Led," not against His will, or as a prisoner, but as by a desire for the conflict.

On the dilemma in which the tempter is caught by his own words:

But thou art caught, O Enemy, in a dilemma. If these stones can be made bread at His word, your temptation is vain against one so mighty. If He cannot make them bread, your suspicions that this is the Son of God must be vain.

On the answers all drawn from Deuteronomy:

It should be noted, that the required texts are taken from the book of Deuteronomy only, that He might shew the sacraments of the second Law.

St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 4:1–11) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.iv.html

On why the tempter sets his snares chiefly for the sanctified:

The Devil's snares are chiefly spread for the sanctified, because a victory over the saints is more desired than over others.

On the hunger that comes after the forty days, that the flesh might overcome the enemy:

He was "an hungred," not during the forty days, but after them. ... For the Devil was to be overcome, not by the God, but by the flesh.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 16 (on Matthew 4:1–11) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.iv.html

On the three modes of temptation, and how the temptation of Christ was without and not within:

We should know that there are three modes of temptation; suggestion, delight, and consent; and we when we are tempted commonly fall into delight or consent, because being born of the sin of the flesh, we bear with us whence we afford strength for the contest; but God who incarnate in the Virgin's womb came into the world without sin, carried within Him nothing of a contrary nature. He could then be tempted by suggestion; but the delight of sin never gnawed His soul, and therefore all that temptation of the Devil was without not within Him.

On the second Adam overcome by the same three doors through which the first Adam fell:

The old enemy tempted the first man through his belly, when he persuaded him to eat of the forbidden fruit; through ambition when he said, "Ye shall be as gods;" through covetousness when he said, "Knowing good and evil;" ... By the same method in which he had overcome the first Adam, in that same was he overcome when he tempted the second Adam.

On answering the tempter only with the words of Scripture:

So the Lord when tempted by the Devil answered only with precepts of Holy Writ, and He who could have drowned His tempter in the abyss, displayed not the might of His power; giving us an example, that when we suffer any thing at the hands of evil men, we should be stirred up to learning rather than to revenge.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, Homily 13 (CCEL) · Cyril of Alexandria on Luke, Sermon 12 (tertullian.org) · Catena Aurea on Matthew 4 (CCEL)