The Temptation of Jesus
On this Sunday (03/09/25), the second Sunday of the Great Fast, the Church reads Matthew 4:1-11. In this passage, Satan tempted Jesus with sensual pleasure (“turn this stone into bread”), fame across all kingdoms (“I will give you power and glory”), and power (“throw yourself down”). Jesus rebukes Satan and emerges from the wilderness and His 40 days of fasting victorious, ready to begin to reveal his identity as the Messiah of the World.
By reading these passages the Church is reminding us that the Holy Fast is a time of warfare. St. John Chrysostom says, “Wherever Christ is present, there must be a spiritual war.” Each of the three temptations presents a different aspect of human weakness and desire: the temptation for material comfort and sustenance (bread), the temptation for power and authority (kingdoms of the world), and the temptation for validation and recognition (throwing Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple). These temptations highlight the struggles we all face in our journey toward spiritual growth.
While God never tempts us to do evil work, He does use circumstances to test a person’s character. As St. James wrote in his epistle, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” (James 1:13-14). Yet, when we are tempted, we most hold true to our faith, as it is written in today’s Pauline Epistle, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). The Lenten season is a time of spiritual warfare; thus, we must follow Christ’s example and resist temptation.
But how do we resist these temptations? The answer can be seen by looking at Christ’s responses to Satan. In all the different temptations, He responded through Scripture. Thus, the response to temptations can be directly found by committing ourselves to the Word of God. In the Psalm with the Gospel we pray, “Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide Your face from me. You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation” (Psalms 27:8-10 Coptic Reader).
As we journey through the Lent, let us resist temptation from the Devil by modeling Christ and actively seeking Him through His word. He provided us with valuable lessons on overcoming temptation and embracing God’s will. As St. Augustine says, “Jesus our leader. He allowed himself to be tempted so as to teach His children how to fight”. Let us apply the key principles of the Lent, which are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (Check last Sunday contemplation). Let us rely on God’s Word and worship Him alone. Let us fight these temptations, saying to the Devil: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10).
Amen.
Sources:
Bible, English Standard Version
Study Bible, NABRE
Coptic Reader
Commentaries on the Gospel of St. Matthew by Fr. Tadros Malaty
Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew (Arabic), Fr. Antonious Fikry