Matthew 4:1–11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus stands ready to begin the mission God had laid before him. Recall, that at his baptism, the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the voice of the Father declares with unmistakable tenderness and authority: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
What more could anyone need?
What greater affirmation could be spoken over a life?
And yet, Scripture shows us that divine affirmation does not exempt us from testing. In fact, Matthew tells the story in such a way that the contrast is almost jarring. No sooner has Jesus received the blessing of heaven than he is led into the wilderness, into hunger, isolation, and vulnerability, where the devil arrives with subtle, suggestive whispers:
“You’ve heard the voice from heaven. You know who you are. So why not use that power? Why not trust yourself? Why not take matters into your own hands?”
But Jesus refuses. He refuses every shortcut, every distortion, every invitation to self‑reliance. He refuses to build his identity on anything other than the Word and will of God the Father.
Later, even John the Baptist, his own cousin, his forerunner, will send his followers to ask , “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). I believe that this question tells us that even the faithful wrestle with “what if?” Even the faithful wonder whether they have placed their trust in the right place.
Matthew 4 reminds us that Jesus meets every temptation with Scripture, with trust, with a steady refusal to let anything other than God define him.
And that becomes our invitation too. Perhaps these are the questions we must all answer as we walk through our own wilderness places: When the “what if’s” rise up in our minds, where will we place our trust? Who will be our God? Who will we trust to guide us through the twists and turns of this life? Who has loved us, blessed us, and sent us on our way? Who has pointed out the path before us and placed signs along the road so we do not lose our way? Will we choose, today, in this moment, to remain faithful to the One who has never ceased to be faithful to us? Will we choose to place our whole trust in the One who has proven trustworthy again and again?
You see, the wilderness reveals what we cling to.
And yet, Scripture shows us that divine affirmation does not exempt us from testing. In fact, Matthew tells the story in such a way that the contrast is almost jarring. No sooner has Jesus received the blessing of heaven than he is led into the wilderness, into hunger, isolation, and vulnerability, where the devil arrives with subtle, suggestive whispers:
“You’ve heard the voice from heaven. You know who you are. So why not use that power? Why not trust yourself? Why not take matters into your own hands?”
But Jesus refuses. He refuses every shortcut, every distortion, every invitation to self‑reliance. He refuses to build his identity on anything other than the Word and will of God the Father.
Later, even John the Baptist, his own cousin, his forerunner, will send his followers to ask , “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). I believe that this question tells us that even the faithful wrestle with “what if?” Even the faithful wonder whether they have placed their trust in the right place.
Matthew 4 reminds us that Jesus meets every temptation with Scripture, with trust, with a steady refusal to let anything other than God define him.
And that becomes our invitation too. Perhaps these are the questions we must all answer as we walk through our own wilderness places: When the “what if’s” rise up in our minds, where will we place our trust? Who will be our God? Who will we trust to guide us through the twists and turns of this life? Who has loved us, blessed us, and sent us on our way? Who has pointed out the path before us and placed signs along the road so we do not lose our way? Will we choose, today, in this moment, to remain faithful to the One who has never ceased to be faithful to us? Will we choose to place our whole trust in the One who has proven trustworthy again and again?
You see, the wilderness reveals what we cling to.
The temptations reveal what we believe about God.
And the voice from heaven still echoes: “You are my beloved.”
Let's Pray
God of promise, when temptations come, temptations to trust only ourselves, to grasp for control, to rely on the world’s assurances instead of your word, teach us to follow the example of our Lord. Anchor our hearts in your truth. Steady our steps with your Spirit. Help us place our trust securely in your promises, for you alone are faithful. Amen.
Let's Pray
God of promise, when temptations come, temptations to trust only ourselves, to grasp for control, to rely on the world’s assurances instead of your word, teach us to follow the example of our Lord. Anchor our hearts in your truth. Steady our steps with your Spirit. Help us place our trust securely in your promises, for you alone are faithful. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment