If Jesus was tempted by the Devil; be sure he will also tempt us.

SATAN TEMPTS JESUS AS HE TEMPTS YOU AND ME

Mt. 4:1-11

We know that Jesus is God, but there are times we forget that He was also a human like you and me - with the one big difference that He was sinless. In today’s Gospel we witness just how human He was, having to face temptation like we do many times a day.

Nobody witnessed what took place in the desert, so Jesus must have made a point of telling His Apostles so that they could tell us that just as He had to struggle with temptations, so must we. His message to us is that temptations are necessary, for they help us to prove our love for God, and it gives God the chance to see our ability for service. 'If I could overcome them - so can you. The road will be difficult, but don’t be discouraged. Let Me be your inspiration and help.'

After being baptised by John, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to see if He were up to the demanding task that lay ahead. In the next three hard years He had to choose the right men in whose hearts He would implant the Good News, so that they would carry it throughout the world and continue His work from one generation to the next. He spent 40 days in the desert and at the end of the vigorous fast was physically weak.

It is always when we are at our weakest that Satan comes along to tempt us. Knowing that the Redeemer of the world was imminent but uncertain as to whether it was Jesus or not, Satan was going to make sure by tempting Him. “If You are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.”

Jesus knew it was Satan tempting Him. So quoting Scripture He said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” In other words, 'Satan, you have only bread to offer. Man has more than a body, he has a soul as well, and that has to be fed and you can’t do that, only God can.' Jesus had won the first of this three round contest!

The second temptation is perhaps the most difficult to understand. Obviously Satan did not physically transport Jesus to the top of the Temple, but must have done this in His imagination. Probably at that time the Temple area was crowded with people. We can see Satan whispering in Jesus’ ear, 'Go on, jump. God will not let His Anointed One come to any harm. Just think what an impression You will make among the people! What a spectacular way to begin Your public ministry!' Satan is still wondering if Jesus is the Saviour, and so He says, “If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written, ‘He has given His angels charge over You and in their hands they will bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone.’”

Again Jesus quotes Scripture at him. “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.” In other words Jesus is saying to Satan, 'Life is not lived on the level of the spectacular. I have not come to live on this Earth among people and have my head on the clouds! I want to weep with the broken hearted and mend broken lives. I want to accept the hospitality of despised people and handle the rejection of respected people. I want to love even those who do not love Me. Get it into your head Satan that life is not lived on the dramatic and spectacular level.' Jesus wins round two!

In the third temptation Satan shows himself to be the father of lies. He claims to own the world and he can do with it as he pleases - which he cannot. This time he takes Jesus in His imagination to a high mountain and shows Him the kingdoms of the world and says, “All these will be Yours if You will fall down and worship me.” Or in other words 'Why go through the three year slog ahead of You and with a cross at the end? It is ridiculous. Take the easy way out!'

That is one of the subtle ways Satan uses when he tempts us. Life is full of choices. Have you noticed that the wrong choice is always the easy one and the right choice is the more difficult? Good habits are hard to form; bad habits are hard to break. We have to wrestle with that reality all our lives.

Jesus was not going to take the easy way out. He would embrace the Cross in order to win the world for His Father. So He said, “Begone, Satan; for it is written, ‘The Lord, thy God shalt thou adore and Him alone shalt thou serve.’” And Satan leaves knowing he has failed to tempt Jesus into sin.

Lord Jesus, these temptations of Yours in the desert were neither Your first nor Your last.

Life was a struggle for You and so it will be for us. Temptation is a constant warfare from which there is no escape. But we have the consolation that You blazed the trail before us to conquer temptation and You are with us. Let us fight temptation as You did and so share in Your victory.

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