11/15- Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptation of Christ

(Duccio's Temptation of Christ)
Devotional using scripture, quote from John Calvin and thoughts for the day each day- on the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth.

Matthew 4:1-11 (Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted [a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Calvin Abridged: There are two reasons why Jesus withdrew into the wilderness: 1) that after fasting for forty days he would come forth as a new, heavenly man to discharge his office. 2) That he might be tried by his temptation as an apprenticeship before he undertook his elevated office as the highest teacher of the church- the ambassador of God. In the same way Moses was withdrawn from the people into Mount Sinai before the giving of the Law. Christ abstained not to give us an example that we might have a forty day fast, but as an evidence of his authority (as Moses had authority to give the law, so Christ has authority to give the Gospel). The only one who followed Moses’ example of fasting forty days was Elijah who was called to restore the Law. Why did God will for his Son to be tempted? The Spirit led him into the wilderness. God intended to show in the person of His Son how Satan opposes our salvation. He attacks Christ because he is preparing to redeem us. So ministers are also the objects of Satan’s daily warfare. The Son of Man voluntarily endured these temptations, and it is a victory for all of us. The temptations that befall all of us are not accidental, or regulated by Satan’s will- without God’s permission, but the Spirit presides over our contests an exercise of our faith. This will aid us, giving us hope for God can fortify us against our distresses. 4:3- “Stones to bread”- The ancient commentators said there were there temptations: 1) gluttony, 2) ambition, and 3) covetousness. But it is not gluttony when a hungry person desires food. Christ had scripture at hand to defend against this attack. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God (Gal. 4:16,17). 4:4- “By bread alone”- (Deut. 8:3) This shows the temptation was an attack on Christ’s faith, so that Christ might use wicked methods for procuring food. Certainly we are pressed hard when we are tempted to distrust God and use our own advantage in a way not authorized by his word. Thought we live on bread, we must not ascribe the support of life to the power of bread, but to the secret kindness, by which God gives bread the ability to nourish our bodies. Here the stupidity of those who think life consist in luxury and abundance; We should trust in God for food, and for the other necessaries of the present life. 4:5- “Then the devil took him to the…highest point in the temple”- Probably this was in a vision more than physically taking him. There was probably long intervals between the temptations. The strategy of this temptation was to induce Christ to exalt himself against God- to go beyond his human limitations. He also wanted to render his life useless. The devil misapplies scripture in 4:6 (command his angels to lift you up). Satan often profanes the Word of God to torture it for our destruction. Angels have been given to guard over Christ and us, but only when we walk in our ways- not purposefully exposing ourselves to death and danger. 4:7- “You shall not tempt the Lord”- whoever desires to make an experiment of the divine power, when there is no necessity for it, tempts God by subjecting his promises to an unfair trial. 4:8- “the devil took him to a very high mountain”- This temptation is that Christ should seek apart from God, the inheritance which he promised his children- thus robbing God of the government of the world and claiming it for the devil.

Thoughts: Jesus was tempted just as all of us are, but these are temptations that would thwart him specifically from the cross and the dangers of life. Jesus thwarts Satan each time by quoting from Deuteronomy- thus showing the importance of knowing and even memorizing scripture. The devil quoted scripture- so we should not be surprised when people twist scripture to prove an evil point. In the end, Jesus triumphs and goes onto face persecution, rejection, the cross- but it is by his faithfulness to his calling and his cross that the resurrection occurs. It also should be noted that God did not truly forsake Christ in all this. The minute Satan left, angels came and nurtured Jesus. So God comforts us when we are faithful to Him, resisting the devil. To some the idea of angels and devils seem far fetched. But there is more to life than we see, and spiritual influences in many places. To think we make all our decisions in a vacuum is naïve.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for facing temptation so faithfully. Give us grace to do the same this day. Amen.

March 13- Lead Us Not Into Temptation

3/13- The Lord’s Prayer- 6th Petition- Lead us Not into Temptation But Deliver Us From Evil

By this we are instructed that we need not only the grace of the Spirit, to soften our hearts within and to bend and direct them to obey God, but also his aid, to render us invincible against both all the stratagems and all the violent assaults of Satan. Now
the forms of temptations are indeed many and varied. For wicked conceptions of the mind, provoking us to transgress the law, which either our own inordinate desire suggests to us or the devil prompts, are temptations, as are things not evil of their own nature yet which become temptations through the devil’s devices, when they are so thrust before our eyes that by their appearance we are drawn away or turn aside from
God. (III. 20.46)

Calvin talks of the temptations from the right (the haves) and the temptations from the left (the have nots). On the one hand, we may be tempted when we have riches, honor, and power. We are tempted in our pride to forget God and think we no longer need Him. On the other hand, we may be tempted by poverty, disgrace, contempt, afflictions, which may keep us so depressed that we feel like it is no use to call on God. Both are wrong, and both are forgetting God. One because of plenty or the other because of thinking God has forgotten us in our poverty. Both ways of forgetting God are fueled by pride and allowing circumstances to control our lives. In the last six months, we may have been tempted both ways- by the pride of having, and the despair of losing. We need to pray that God would deliver us.
Calvin said our understanding of “evil” in “deliverance from evil” could be Satan or sin, it makes no practical difference. We are delivered from evil when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It makes sense- when we are filled with good, there is no room for evil. Another key to deliverance from evil for Calvin is simply to believe that God will help us through our afflictions. “While we petition, then, to be freed from Satan and sin, we anticipate that new increases of God’s grace will continually be showered upon us, until, completely filled therewith, we triumph over all evil.” (III.20.46). In general, Calvinists did not focus on the devil or Satan nearly as much as other branches of Christianity (or Islam). Calvin beleived if we are filled with love for God and focus on Him, then there is no room for the devil or evil.
In our day, people are shocked to call anything "evil." Everything is a gray area- always a mixture of right and wrong. Postmodernism is the philosophy of the day- and that philosophy lends itself to thinking that the only wrong is to call something "wrong" (or worse- "evil"). But, it does matter. Child sacrifice is wrong. Murder is wrong. Stealing is wrong. There are always mitigating circumstances, and we all do bad things- but that does not erase that sin is sin and we need to be delivered from evil. Because we are all in the mix of sin- and our hearts are deceived and blinded to our own sin- we need God (the outside force) to deliver us.
The hymn confirms this teaching: “Breathe on me breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou dost do.”

On a practical side, it is helpful to know which things are the most tempting to you. It is not that we want to dwell on the temptation, but rather to be filled with good in its opposite area so we may triumph.

Prayer: Father, we are tempted by many things today. Evil is all around us- tv, internet, and there is a lack of morality around us. Help us, O God, to resist temptation. Lead us into quiet places during harsh times.