“Beyond description”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Sunday, February 26, 2023

Matthew 4:1-11 (Forward, p. 28) CEV p. 984

I cannot imagine what it was like but even so, I had to laugh inwardly when I read the King James Version’s rendering of verse 2: “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred”. I should say so! And, I happen to think that this description was probably something of an understatement. Other translations pick up on this:

-on the one hand, several of them render it ‘starving’ or ‘famished’; the Message, on the other hand, says that he was in ‘a state of extreme hunger.’

I can well imagine that it was more than just simple hunger. In fact, I have heard somewhere that after forty days our bodies start cannibalizing themselves, literally eating away accumulated body reserves in order to keep alive. That is why people who have been starving are often no more than just skin and bones. And so, Jesus’ ordeal would have been very, very difficult indeed.

And here, the Message paraphrase suggests something interesting. It suggests that the devil, knowing what Jesus was experiencing, decided to ‘take advantage of this’, take advantage of Jesus’ hunger, by posing his first temptation. It was a classic case of preying upon the person’s weakness at the time.

Of course, at the surface, there seemed to be nothing wrong with this first temptation. After all, what is wrong with ‘looking after number one’, looking after one’s self? Isn’t that something that we are all ‘supposed’ to do?

But Jesus realized that there was more to it than just that. He knew that to cater to humankind’s basic, physical needs was a sure-fire way to success and to winning their hearts and allegiance (as echoed in the crowd’s desire to force Him to be king, John 6:15). However, to do so, would circumvent the Cross, which was not to be. Furthermore, it would a classic case of allowing the outward, physical needs to take precedence over the spiritual, which is why Jesus replied as He did: ‘We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (verse 4).

However, there was one other factor which would have weighed heavily in Jesus’ thinking. As God, as the Creator of heavens and earth, He certainly could have turned stones into bread. After all, He had previously created everything there is, and that, out of nothing. So, creating bread from stones would have been ‘child’s play.’ But He had previously put aside, emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives (see Philippians 2:7), in order to be fully and completely like us. However, that is not something that any of us can pull off. And so, to take them up again, even if only for a moment, would have betrayed His mission ‘to be like us in every way.’

In the second temptation, Satan switches tactics. Instead of playing upon Jesus’ divine attributions, he goes at Jesus’ unique standing with the Father. According to Scripture, Psalm 91:11-12, God had promised to protect Jesus from harm, Satan reminded Jesus. So, why not take Him up on it? But Jesus knew that this would be a matter of ‘playing fast and furious’ with God’s favour and goodness, playing Him for ‘what it was worth’, essentially putting Him to the test. It would be an easy way to garner popularity and support, but at what cost? And so, Jesus, regardless of His close ties to God was unwilling to do this with Him.

And then, in the third temptation, Satan, having failed twice, again switches tactics. This time He appeals to Jesus’ basic humanity. Jesus, having grown up in rebellious Galilee, would have seen the nasty fate of those who had been crucified. Naturally, His entire being recoiled with the idea, shuddered with even the mere possibility. Certainly, it would be only natural to want to avoid this at any cost—but at the cost of temporarily giving Satan your allegiance, no way.

So, Satan attacked Jesus at three levels, at His divinity, at His sonship and at His humanity. Obviously, he cannot attack us at those three levels. Nevertheless, he knows where we, each one of us, is vulnerable and so that is where he attacks. He knows what our particular ‘jugulars’ happen to be. And so, we need to cognisant of what that might be, aware of our weaknesses, and ready—ready by getting into God’s word and knowing some good counter measures from it, and by remaining close to God. Jesus countered Satan through the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit, and so can we. Amen.

Forward notes: “Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him” (verse 11).

“Temptation is tough, as we see in Genesis, the gospels, and other places in scripture. Temptation was brutal for Adam and Eve—and brutal on Jesus. Adam and Eve gave into temptation and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Jesus, being Jesus, fought temptation and won, with the bonus of a choir of angels coming and waiting on him.

“We all face temptation. Our success in overcoming it often lies in the support system we have established. I know I wouldn’t be able to withstand much temptation without my support system. I have support as a musical theater mom and as a special education mom. When I was a new teacher, groups helped me navigate those tough first days. When I was getting divorced, my friends and family supported me.

We laugh and cry and pray together. And we give each other strength to battle various temptations. If fighting the devil drained Jesus, imagine what it does to us. Thank goodness for the people in our lives who come and wait on us—and with us.”

Moving Forward: “Who are the people in your life who give you strength?”