The Kingdom Movement

A Literary & Pastoral Study Guide to the Gospel of Matthew

The Inspiration of Matthew,

by Caravaggio

On the King's Errand

Devotional Reflections on Matthew's Gospel

The Devil’s Strategy, Part Two:  Mt.4:1 – 11

^4:3 And the tempter came and said to him, ‘…command that these stones become bread’…‘throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’’…‘all these things I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.’

Though he had presumably drunk water, Jesus hadn’t eaten anything during these forty days.  His mouth probably tasted like sand.  His stomach had gone through those phases of sharp hunger pangs to that steady, gnawing pain.  He had probably dreamt about food.  Jesus was ravenously hungry.  What was the harm in turning a few stones into a little bread? 

          Satan’s taunt that Jesus throw himself off the Temple was not about frivolous showmanship.  It struck a deeper human (and perhaps especially male) desire to make displays of special, personal power that lead others to think that you are invincible.  It appealed to ego, yes, but also to efficiency:  It would have gathered a following, fast.

          Satan’s third temptation was very similar to Jesus’ actual mission.  Jesus came to be humanity’s king.  Notice that Jesus implicitly agrees that Satan does own the nations by not disputing the devil’s claim. Jesus could still be humanity’s king, but under Satan.  The suffering and crucifixion Jesus would have to go through was also daunting.  Perhaps Jesus would take the easier route.

Jesus rejected all Satan’s taunts.  He chose to let God reign supreme over his body, ego, and life-mission.  Why?  First, because his mission was most fundamentally to declare a message and give his life for others, and using power for his own sake would gradually erode his commitment, if not violate it in principle.  The forty days would soon be over, and the Father would provide for him.  In addition, Jesus knew he would not always have bread to give, but would always have a word to speak.  We as his followers would also find ourselves in that position.  And while we are not to ignore people’s physical needs, at the same time our mission is most fundamentally to declare a message and give our lives for others, as Jesus did, and we are not to be embarrassed when we have words but no bread.  Jesus was not embarrassed by this.  He did not take this as a sign of God’s absence.

Second, Jesus refused to lead men and women out of an ego-boosting posture.  Even efficiency was not the most important criterion for Jesus, because efficiency tends to enshrine power, celebrity, and wealth to accomplish an end supposedly superior to those means.  But in the process, efficiency always becomes its own god, even when it promises to point to another.  For example, someone might argue that we should first evangelize powerful, attractive, rich people because they will have more influence over other people than do disenfranchised, lowly, and poor people.  Put so bluntly, the elitism and enshrining of power, celebrity, and wealth become obvious.  Yet most of the time, we only think such things quietly to ourselves, afraid to face the absurdity of our own thinking.  However, Jesus’ effectiveness and that of his people does not ultimately depend on power, celebrity, and wealth.

Third, Jesus knew that his mission was radically different from what Satan suggested.  Jesus came to liberate humanity out of Satan’s dominion and place them rightly under the Father’s good reign.  To allow humanity to continue in subjection to Satan or some other principle was contrary to God, even if it meant suffering.  Jesus would indeed go to the cross to accomplish God’s unswerving purpose.  Jesus would not deviate from the course set out for him.  We must not deviate either.  Before we are students, or employees, or citizens of a country, we are missionaries.  Before we are anything else at all, we are missionaries sent by Jesus, continuing his mission to the nations.