Mt 4:1 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
That Christ, led by His own Spirit, willingly entered the desert—the place of combat—admonishes us that, after receiving in Baptism the remission of sins and the grace of the Holy Spirit, we should gird ourselves against the snares of the ancient enemy, and, leaving the world in mind as though entering the vast wilderness, learn to hunger only for the joys of eternal life.
Mt 4:2 “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”
We read that this Lenten fast was formerly observed by Moses and Elijah, and by it is shown that the Gospel does not differ from the Law and the Prophets. Moreover, by this fast we are instructed that after Baptism we ought throughout the whole time of this present world to live soberly, fasting from vices and from friendship with the world. Furthermore, the Lord’s fast before His Passion signifies in Himself our labor, while His refreshment after His Resurrection signifies in us consolation. Mystically, the Lord’s hunger signifies His desire for our salvation.
Mt 4:3 “And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’”
He approached in an assumed appearance by permission to tempt—he who was far off in will through malice. For He who had come to be killed did not disdain to be tempted; and because no delight of sin touched His mind, all that diabolical temptation was not within but without. Well did he suggest making bread from stones, that he who is hard of heart might show hardness in speech. “Say,” he said, not “do,” because he knew it is written: “God said, Let there be light, and there was light.”
Mt 4:4 “But He answered and said, ‘It is written: Man does not live by bread alone.’”
Just as the body lives by earthly food, so the soul lives by the word of God which proceeds from His mouth, when He wills to reveal to our frailty the counsel of His will through the sacred Scriptures. That He answered the devil by sentences of Scripture gave us an example of humility, so that whenever we suffer anything from wicked men we may be stirred more to instruction than to vengeance.
Mt 4:5 “Then the devil took Him into the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.”
This taking did not come from weakness in the Savior but from the pride of the enemy, because he reckoned the Savior’s will as necessity. The holy city is Jerusalem, where the worship of the one God and the observance of the Law of Moses were found. The pinnacle is the summit of the temple, which was level at the top, as is the custom in Egypt and Palestine to build houses.
Mt 4:6 “And he said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.’”
In all his temptations the devil does this—that he may learn whether He is the Son of God. But the Lord so moderates His reply that He leaves him in doubt. For here it is shown that the devil, who wishes to persuade all, can persuade but cannot cast down; and just as the Lord was willing to be placed on the pinnacle but refused to be thrown down at his command, so it is fitting that if anyone persuades us to ascend the way of truth we obey, but if he wishes to cast us down from the height of virtue we should not listen.
“For it is written, ‘He has given His angels charge concerning you,’” and the rest.
This prophecy is about a just man, but the devil misinterprets the Scriptures when he speaks of Christ as though needing angelic help like one who is weak; and what is spoken of himself he omits: “You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk” (Psalm 90/91).
Mt 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written: ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Note that He brought forward testimonies only from Deuteronomy, to show the mysteries of the second law. He gave an example of this matter first in words and later in deeds, when He avoided the raging Jews by fleeing and hiding, so that human weakness might learn not to dare to tempt God when it has means to act so as to escape what ought to be avoided.
Mt 4:8 “Again the devil took Him onto a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”
Mystically, this mountain signifies the devil’s pride, by which he himself was deceived and desires to deceive others.
“And he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.”
He could not enlarge His sight nor show Him anything unknown, but the vanity of worldly pomp which he himself loved as though beautiful, and therefore desired Christ to come to love it. Or otherwise: he showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, that is, the people of this age—some ruled through fornication, others through greed—deceived by the devil.
Mt 4:9 “And he said to Him, ‘All these I will give you if you fall down and worship me.’”
The ancient enemy rose against the first man with three temptations—gluttony, vainglory, and avarice—and with the same vices he tried to conquer the second: gluttony when he said, “Command that these stones become bread”; vainglory when he said, “Throw yourself down”; avarice when he said, “All these I will give you if you fall down and worship me.” But he departed conquered by the second in the manner in which he boasted that he had conquered the first.
Mt 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan.’”
That is understood: into eternal condemnation. But if according to another reading one wishes to read, “Go behind me, Satan,” it can be understood that “behind” refers to former times when the devil held the world guilty— as if the Lord were saying: Look back to when you deceived the first man and his descendants through various idolatries; let that suffice you until now. But now you will not only be unable to overthrow me, but through me you will be cast out from the power you rejoiced to possess. “Satan” means adversary or transgressor, and rightly he goes backward, because he is an enemy of truth and a transgressor of all justice.
“For it is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’”
Perhaps someone asks why here it is commanded to serve God alone, when the Apostle says, “Through charity serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). But it is clear: in Greek, service is named in two ways with different meanings. δουλεία (dulia) is common service to God or man or any creature; λατρεία (latria) is the service due only to the worship of the Divinity and shared with no creature. We are commanded to serve one another through charity (dulia), but to serve God alone (latria).
Mt 4:11 “Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came.”
The devil tempts so that human weakness may be shown; angels minister so that the divinity of the victor may be proved. Therefore let us recognize in Him our care, because unless the devil had seen Him as man he would not have tempted; let us venerate in Him His divinity, because unless He were God above all, the angels would by no means minister to Him.
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