The Temptations of Jesus

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.

After his Baptism in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days. In the Bible, the number 40 is symbolic of “probation and testing.” Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray, in preparation for his mission. This is reminiscent of many events in the bible, such as Abraham and Moses being led into the wilderness to receive God’s Covenant, as well as the Israelites who were led into the wilderness to be formed as a people before entering into the Promised Land. Like Jesus, his disciples will also be tested in the wilderness, in preparation to carry on the mission of Jesus. Like the Israelites, Christians must journey through the wilderness of life in preparation for Heaven.

Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, as it is in Heaven, and to lead humanity into that kingdom. During his sojourn in the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by Satan, the present ruler of the world. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the Evil One.” (1Jn. 5:19). The three temptations of Jesus represent the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is for our sake that Jesus endures these temptations, as a human like us, in order to show us the way to over-come the devil.

In the first temptation, Satan tries to tempt Jesus to doubt his identity as the Son of God. He tempts Christians to doubt their identity as a follower of Jesus, and child of God. He also tempts Christians to doubt the divinity of Jesus, or to doubt his humanity. He tempts Christians to doubt his incarnation, his miracles and teachings, his death and resurrection, and his Ascension into Heaven. The devil tries to distract Jesus from his purpose for being in the wilderness, which is to fast and pray. This is a time set aside for Jesus to focus his attention on spiritual food, and to deny the natural needs of his flesh. It is a time for his obedience to the Father to be tested. In the same way, his followers would also be tested for their obedience.

Catholics follow Jesus into the wilderness during Lent, for forty days, to fast and pray; to focus on their spiritual needs in preparation for their mission in the Church and journey to Heaven. It is a time to deny their natural needs that get in the way of their being able to be spiritually nourished by the Holy Spirit. Satan tries to tempt Christians to pick and choose between prayer and service, between faith and good works, between one disciple and another. One thing is necessary, to know and do the will of God, and there is a time and place for everything.

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

The devil tries to use Jesus’ hunger and physical weakness in order to tempt him. He says to Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” The devil has been using this tactic from the beginning of time; when he tempted Eve to doubt God rather than to trust in him; when he tempted her to eat of the “forbidden fruit,” instead of the Word of God. The serpent (Satan) asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat….,” (Gen. 3:1) causing her to doubt what God really said or meant. Eve does not seem to know the Word of God as well as the devil does. She tells the serpent, “it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” (Gen. 3:3). God said nothing about “touching it;” nor did he suggest that “you might die.” God said: “the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” (Gen. 1:2:17). God makes it clear that they will die.

Jesus knows the Word of God; he is the Word of God. He is greater than the written word, but he stands by the written word and does not take away from it. He acknowledges the Father’s authority behind it. He came to fulfill it, not to replace it. He interprets the written word in the context it was given, and in the context of the time and place it was given. Jesus responds to the devil, stating, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Christians need to know the Word of God, and how to interpret it according to the context in which it was given, or we will not recognize the distortions of the devil. Satan loves to quote Scripture; out of context and piece meal. He so distorts Scripture that he turns it into a lie. This is what heresy does. It so magnifies one truth to the exclusion of another truth.

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

In this scripture, the devil quotes Psalm 91, out of context. This psalm is one that encourages believers to trust in the Lord, in the midst of trial and suffering, and not to fear evil. The devil uses it to tempt Jesus to put God to the test. We put God to the test when we are presumptuous and believe that God will save us no matter what we do. We do not need to change our lives; to repent of sin, forgive one another, and to love our enemy. We do not need to obey the Commandments or the Church. We put God to the test when we think it is enough to believe in God or know that he loves us. If we truly believe and know he loves us, no amount of suffering or pain will cause us to doubt it. We will trust in God in all circumstances. We will not use spiritual gifts to gain attention, fame, prosperity, riches, honor, or glory. We will not use spiritual gifts to show that we are better than others, more spiritual, holy, or more powerful. This is what Simon the Magician did, to his own folly. We will glorify God, not ourselves. The devil wanted Jesus to disobey the Father by proving that he was the Son of God. Jesus knew who he was and did not need to prove it to the devil or anyone else. We prove to the world that we are believers by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit; by obedience and holiness; by doing God’s will, not ours; by loving everyone; by being other centered, and not self-centered.

Christians are called to approach Scripture trusting that it is the Word of God; that it is “truth.” We approach Scripture like Mary, Our Mother, seeking the truth and understanding of the truth. Satan tempts Christians to approach Scripture seeking to prove their own assumptions and biases, like Zechariah, the father of John. Satan challenges Christians to prove that the Word of God is “truth.” There is a saying, “For nonbelievers, no amount of proof is possible; for believers, no amount of proof is necessary.”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

The devil tries to tempt Jesus, as he does us, to focus on the future instead of the present. He tempts us to live beyond our means; to get what we want without working for it; to depend on credit cards, lotteries, gambling, theft, cheating, borrowing, or going into debt to have what we want when we want it. He tempts us to expect everything for free; without cost or work, or preparation; without suffering, or the Cross. The devil is ready to offer us the world: power, glory, honor, adulation, success, fame, money, land, if only we will deny God’s will and follow him. The devil tries to tempt Jesus to seek victory without the Cross. He ties to tempt him to put himself above the Father and the Holy Spirit; to put the world before the Church, and the Church before God; and thus to put the devil above God. He tries to tempt Jesus to embrace an earthly kingship and a political mission, and seeks to divert him from suffering and death. He tries to tempt Jesus to be an earthly king and ruler like David; like Caesar, Mohamed, or Hitler. He tries to tempt Jesus to be a false prophet, to prepare the way for Satan; to be a prophet like Moses or Elijah, for a particular people like the Jews or Christians, instead of all humanity; instead of a prophet for the Jews, Christians, Muslims, Romans, Atheists, and rich and poor alike.

Satan tempts Christians to believe that God is their own personal God; that he loves them more than anyone else; that he will give them everything they ask for and do whatever they ask of him; that their needs and wants are more important to God than the common good, or the needs and wants of the rest of the human race. He tempts Christians to believe that they are like God; they are the Messiah and Son of God. He tempts Christians to believe that the world, the earth, is eternal and will last forever; or that God hates the earth and the rest of creation, and wants to destroy it.

Satan wants humans to believe that there is no “one true God;” one mastermind and designer, who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good; a God who is a supreme being with an intellect and free will, capable of loving and relating with his creatures; a God who created the heavens and the earth and all living creatures in the heavens and on earth. Satan wants humans to believe that there is no eternal life beyond death, beyond this world; that faith, hope, and love do not exist beyond the grave; that there is no heaven and no hell. This is the greatest lie of all, and if it is true, then Christians are the biggest fools of all.

Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death….

Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1Cor. 15:12-26; 51-58).

Satan is no God, and no human being, but he is a creature like man, created by the one true God who has no beginning or end. He is a supernatural being with supernatural powers who wants to be worshipped by human beings, as their God

God created the sciences so that man could come to know the created world. He created psychology so that man could come to know his own nature. He created philosophy so that man could come to know the relationship between man and the world he lives in. But, only God can enable man to know God. Only God can enable creatures to relate with God, to be in union with God.

Humans follow in the footsteps of Satan when they make gods out of science, philosophy, psychology, creation, humanity, self or religion. Religion is the practice of the worship of God. We make gods of these things when we attempt to separate them from their source—the one true God. When we deny the one true God and practice the religion of worshipping any created thing, religion becomes idolatry.

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor. 1:19-25).

Christians need to recognize the tactics and lies of Satan, and their own attachments to the world, the flesh, and supernatural power, and say with Jesus, “Be gone, Satan.” They can only do this if they first say “no” to all his lies and false promises. Without prayer and fasting, and the grace of God, they will not be able to do this. On the other hand, if Christians remain faithful to the will of God throughout suffering and trials, resisting the devil, they can trust that God will always send his angels to minister to them. He will bring good out of evil; out of all our suffering, trials, and losses. The generosity of God will not only supply our needs, but often our wants, as well.

In response to the temptations of the flesh, the world, and Satan, Jesus asks us to face each temptation by asking ourselves, “Do I really love Jesus more than all these other things?” Jesus tells us how we can show that we love him. “How do I show my love?” We show our love for Jesus by knowing him, loving him, and serving him; and by knowing, loving, and serving his people; his Church [those who know his voice]and the people he has placed in our care. Do we put the “common good” of others above our own selfish concerns? Do we put the will of God before our own will, and before the will of others? (John 21:15-19).

Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these? [God's love]

Feed my lambs.

Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me? [God's love]

Tend my sheep.

Simon, son of John, do you love (philia) me? [friendly affection]

Feed my sheep. Follow me!

Lord Jesus, grant us the wisdom, the knowledge, and the grace to recognize when we are being tempted away from your will and your love, and to take up our cross and follow you.