Sunday 5th March 2017
Matthew 4: 1-11 – The Temptation of Jesus
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty
days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 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, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels
concerning you, ’and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their splendour; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship
me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and
serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Other Readings
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19
Homily
Today it seems that we have to justify everything we think, say or do and prove to others that we are
worthy of our place at the table – whether at school, at work or at the local sports club. We have to
prove we can do this or that. In today’s passage we hear the devil telling Jesus to prove He is the Son
of God by doing miracles – but Jesus doesn’t conform. It would have been easy for Jesus to prove
the devil wrong, here you go here are the loaves that were stones or jumping off the mountain and
been caught by angels, a bit like Obi Wan Kenobi been caught by Anakin Skywalker during the
Bounty hunter chase scene in Star Wars Episode 2. Instead, Jesus says no to the pressure and
temptation to ‘show off’. Through Jesus’ responses to the devil we learn some of the ways that can
help us today to overcome temptations we might face.
Firstly, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
The word from God is the bible. As a Jew, Jesus would have learnt much of the Torah by heart and
many other books that make up the Old Testament. He was able to recite the bible. I’m not saying
we need to learn off by heart the bible today but we need to learn to read it, study it and enjoy it –
this is what will sustain us spiritually and fully and help us to live in strong relationship with God.
The second response from Jesus is, ‘do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Like the devil tried to
get Jesus to prove who he was and his worth, it can be easy for us to ask for things that are actually
tests for God to pass. As we study the bible, spend time in prayer and worship God, we will come to
know how much God already provides for us and can do – he doesn’t need to prove Himself – He
already has. As we journey together through Lent and reflect once again on what took place over
that first Easter we will have all the proof we need.
These first two responses from Jesus to the devils temptations remind us of the importance to trust
God. We are not to test him, but be fully reliant on Him – His provision, His word, His plan for us.
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him” is Jesus’ last statement to the devil before he left
him. This message from Jesus is repeated on his journey to the Cross. During his three years of
ministry he is asked by the lawyer, what is the greatest commandment, and Jesus replies, “‘you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the
greatest and first commandment.” This is the most important thing we can do in our lives, and
perhaps this is why it is the third response we her from Jesus – it emphasises the importance.
During Lent we traditionally give up something; a fast from something we may enjoy too much of;
TV, chocolate, alcohol or something else. These are great things to do but the reason for doing it is
sometimes forgotten – ‘to worship the Lord your God’. At the times we would normally sit down to
watch our favourite TV programme or sit down with a nice glass of wine, instead we should spend
time in prayer, study and worship. This is what we need to do even more of, probably not just once a
year during Lent but all of the time, something modelled by Jesus himself - but this season in the
Church calendar is a good way to get us started.
Conversation Questions
1. Has there been a time when you have been made to prove yourself or your worth?
2. Have you ever put God to the test? What happened?
3.
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him” – How easy is this to do?
4. What are you doing during Lent to spend more time with God?
5. Is there anything else from the passage that speaks to you not already discussed? What is it?
6. What will you do this week in response to what you have heard today?
Prayer
Spend some time in silence, responding to what you have heard today and listening to what God
might be saying to you.
Collect
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is incorporated in this service paper, is copyright
© The Archbishops’ Council, 2000.