Matteo 4:8 Commento

John Baptist said concerning Christ, He must increase, but I must decrease; and so it proved. For, after John had baptized Christ, and borne his testimony to him, we hear little more of his ministry; he had done what he came to do, and thenceforward there is as much talk of Jesus as ever there had been of John. As the rising Sun advances, the morning star disappears. Concerning Jesus Christ we have in this chapter, I. The temptation he underwent, the triple assault the tempter made upon him, and the repulse he gave to each assault (Mat 4:1-11). II. The teaching work he undertook, the places he preached in (Mat 4:12-16), and the subject he preached on (Mat 4:17). III. His calling of disciples, Peter and Andrew, James and John (Mat 4:18-22). IV. His curing diseases (Mat 4:23, Mat 4:24), and the great resort of the people to him, both to be taught and to be healed.

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit,.... The Evangelist having finished his account of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ; of his ministry and baptism; and particularly of the baptism of Christ; when the Holy Ghost came down upon him in a visible and eminent manner; whereby he was anointed for his public work, according to Isa 61:1 proceeds to give a narration of his temptations by Satan, which immediately followed his baptism; and of those conflicts he had with the enemy of mankind before he entered on his public ministry. The occasion, nature, and success of these temptations are here related. The occasion of them, or the opportunity given to the tempter, is spoken of in this and the following verse. In this may be observed the action of the Spirit in and upon Christ; he was led of the Spirit: by "the Spirit" is meant the same spirit of God, which had descended and lighted on him in a bodily shape, with the gifts and graces of which he was anointed, in an extraordinary manner, for public service; of which he was "full", Luk 4:1 not but that he was endowed with the Holy Ghost before which he received without measure from his Father; but now this more eminently and manifestly appeared and by this Spirit was he led; both the Syriac and the Persic versions read, "by the holy Spirit". Being "led" by him, denotes an internal impulse of the Spirit in him, stirring him up, and putting him upon going into the wilderness: and this impulse being very strong and vehement, another Evangelist thus expresses it; "the Spirit driveth him, thrusts him forth into the wilderness", Mar 1:12 though not against his will; to which was added an external impulse, or outward rapture, somewhat like that action of the Spirit on Philip. Act 8:39. When he is said to be led up, the meaning is, that he was led up from the low parts of the wilderness, where he was, to the higher and mountainous parts thereof, which were desolate and uninhabited. The place where he was led was "into the wilderness", i.e. of Judea, into the more remote parts of it; for he was before in this wilderness, where John was preaching and baptizing; but in that part of it which was inhabited. There was another part which was uninhabited, but by "wild beasts" and here Christ was led, and with these he was, Mar 1:13 all alone, retired from the company of men; could have no assistance from any, and wholly destitute of any supply: so that Satan had a fair opportunity of trying his whole strength upon him; having all advantages on his side he could wish for. The end of his being led there, was to be tempted of the devil: by "the devil" is meant "Satan" the prince of devils, the enemy of mankind, the old serpent, who has his name here from accusing and calumniating; so the Syriac calls him the accuser, or publisher of accusations. He was the accuser of God to men, and is the accuser of men to God; his principal business is to tempt, and Christ was brought here to be tempted by him, that he might be tried before he entered on his public work; that he might be in all things like unto his brethren; that he might have a heart as man, as well as power, as God, to succour them that are tempted; and that Satan, whose works he came to destroy, might have a specimen of his power, and expect, in a short time, the ruin of his kingdom by him. The time when this was done was "then"; when Jesus had been baptized by John; when the Holy Ghost descended on him, and he was full of it; when he had such a testimony from his Father of his relation to him, affection for him, and delight in him; "then" was he led, "immediately", as Mark says, Mar 1:12. As soon as all this was done, directly upon this, he was had into the wilderness to be tempted by and to combat with Satan; and so it often is, that after sweet communion with God in his ordinances, after large discoveries of his love and interest in him follow sore temptations, trials, and exercises. There is a very great resemblance and conformity between Christ and his people in these things.

And saith unto him, all these things will I give thee.... This is more fully and strongly expressed by the Evangelist Luke. Luk 4:6. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it--all shall be thine. In which words he sets up himself to be the God of this world, and the sovereign disposer of it: he pretends it was delivered to him by the true God, who had left it to his arbitrary disposal; and that he could invest Christ with the power and government of it, and put him in possession of all its glory, and make good and support his title to it, and interest in it. Never was such monstrous arrogance expressed as this; when this poor, proud, wretched creature, has not the disposal, at his pleasure, of anyone single thing; no not the least in the whole universe. He could not touch, neither Job's person, nor any of his substance, without divine permission; nor enter into an herd of swine without Christ's leave; and yet had the front to make an offer of the whole world, as if he had a despotic power over it; and that upon this horrid and blasphemous condition, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. This was the highest degree of effrontery and impudence. The devil is not content to be worshipped by men, but seeks for adoration from the Son of God: this opens at once his proud, ambitious, and aspiring views, to be as God himself; for with nothing less can he be satisfied.

(in Luc. Hom. 30.) We are not to suppose that when he showed Him the kingdoms of the world, he presented before Him the kingdom of Persia, for instance, or India; but he showed his own kingdom, how he reigns in the world, that is, how some are governed by fornication, some by avarice.

(in Luc. c. iv. 11.) Ambition has its dangers at home; that it may govern, it is first others' slave; it bows in flattery that it may rule in honour; and while it would be exalted, it is made to stoop.

(Verse 8) Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said to him, 'All these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me.' The glory of the world, which is passing away with the world, is shown on the mountain and on the pinnacle. But the Lord descends to humble and lowly places in order to overcome the devil through humility. Furthermore, the devil hastens to lead him to the mountains, so that through the same mountains by which he himself fell, others may fall as well, according to the saying of the Apostle: 'Lest he be lifted up with pride and fall into the judgment of the devil' (1 Timothy 3:6).

(De Cons. Ev. ii. 16.) Luke has not given the temptations in the same order as Matthew; so that we do not know whether the pinnacle of the temple, or the ascent of the mountain, was first in the action; but it is of no importance, so long as it is only clear that all of them were truly done.

The statement that the devil “led him away” has to be understood with reference to God’s plan, since Christ, who had foretold and sought that he should do this, had prearranged for the clear defeat of the one who should try in vain to tempt him. For in the case of Job too it says that “the devil said to the Lord.” But who is so simpleminded as to suppose that the devil discusses things with God? But what he had intended, God allowed him to do, in order to demonstrate Job’s indomitability. So too in the present instance, to the devil is applied whatever purpose God had wished to happen in providentially arranging all things. But as to the phrase “he showed him,” it is clear that he did not show him this in substance and reality, since it is impossible to find a mountain so high that from it someone who wishes can see the whole world. Rather it was through an imaginary image, in keeping with the demon’s usual custom, the clear identifying mark of which is the attempt to delude people of sound understanding by representing to them things that are not there as though they were there and things that have not happened as though they had happened.

The Devil, left in uncertainty by this second reply, passes to a third temptation. Christ had broken the nets of appetite, had passed over those of ambition, he now spreads for Him those of covetousness; He taketh him up into a very high mountain, such as in going round about the earth he had noticed rising above the rest. The higher the mountain, the wider the view from it. He shows Him not so as that they truly saw the very kingdoms, cities, nations, their silver and their gold; but the quarters of the earth where each kingdom and city lay. As suppose from some high ground I were to point out to you, see there lies Rome, there Alexandria; you are not supposed to see the towns themselves, but the quarter in which they lie. Thus the Devil might point out the several quarters with his finger, and recount in words the greatness of each kingdom and its condition; for that is said to be shown whch is in any way presented to the understanding.

By their glory, is meant, their gold and silver, precious stones and temporal goods.

He tempts through the greed of ambition when he shows all the kingdoms of the world, saying: "All these things I will give you, if you fall down and worship me." For avarice is not only of money, but also of exaltation. For it is rightly called avarice when loftiness is sought beyond measure. For if the seizure of honor did not pertain to avarice, Paul would never say of the only-begotten Son of God: He did not consider it robbery to be equal to God. Moreover, the devil drew our parent to pride in this, that he aroused him to avarice for exaltation when he tempted him through the advancement of avarice saying: Knowing good and evil.

The Devil shows all this to the Lord, not as though he had power to extend his vision or show Him any thing unknown. But setting forth in speech as excellent and pleasant, that vain worldly pomp wherein himself delighted, he thought by suggestion of it, to create in Christ a love of it.

Again, the devil taketh Him up onto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me. Some think that the high mountain is the passion of avarice into which the enemy strives to lead Jesus. But those who think this do not reason well. The devil appeared to Him visibly, for the Lord did not entertain any evil thoughts - far from it! The devil, therefore, visibly showed Him all the kingdoms, presenting them before His eyes in an image, and said, "All these things will I give Thee." In his pride, he considers the world to be his own. Even now the devil makes this offer to the greedy, with the result that those who worship him do possess these things.

(ord.) He saw not, as we see, with the eye of lust, but as a physician looks on disease without receiving any hurt.

(ap. Anselm.) Though Luke's order seems the more historical; Matthew relates the temptations as they were done to Adam.

Then the third temptation is presented, namely, concerning ambition or concerning greed: first, the temptation; secondly, Christ's resistance (v. 10). But the devil tempts in two ways, by deed and by word (v. 9). In the deed two things were involved: first, he took him to a mountain; secondly, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world (v. 8b). He says The devil took him. The taking has been explained above. But this, namely, to a mountain, can be explained in two ways. Rabanus says that this mountain was in the desert, because, according to him, all the temptations took place in the desert. But it is called very high, as compared to others in its neighborhood. Chrysostom, however, says that he led him to one of the larger mountains of the world; and this is what the letter seems to assert, since it says a very high mountain. In this is signified that the devil always incites to pride, as he himself is proud: "Before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains" (Jer 13:16). Hence, he is also called a mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world. It should be noted that a kingdom of the world can be taken in two ways: first, spiritually; and this is the way the devil is said to reign in it: "Now is the prince of this world cast out" (Jn 12:31). Secondly, in a literal sense, so that one reigns over another: "Lo, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord" (Jer 1:15). But what is said here seems to some to refer to the devil's kingdom; hence, he says He showed him all the kingdoms of the world, namely, over which he rules, and the glory of them, because when he completely rules over men, he also makes them glory: "They rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil" (Pr 2:14); "Why do you glory in mischief?" (Ps 52:1). Others explain it of an earthly kingdom. But then one asks, how could he show all the kingdoms of the world? Remigius says that it was done miraculously; because he showed him all the kingdoms in the twinkling of an eye, just as we read of St. Benedict that the whole world was shown to him in one glance. But it should be noted that those two do not seem good explanations, because there would have been no need to say that he took him to a very high mountain, because all this could have occurred in a valley. Hence Chrysostom explains it another way: he showed him, not that he showed each particular kingdom, but the direction in which each lay; and not only this, but the glory of them, i.e., he expressed to him the temporal glory of the world: "I will change their glory into shame" (Hos 4:7); "They glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (Phil 3:19).

TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. ( = Mar 1:12-13; Luk 4:1-13). (Mat 4:1-11) Then--an indefinite note of sequence. But Mark's word (Mar 1:12) fixes what we should have presumed was meant, that it was "immediately" after His baptism; and with this agrees the statement of Luke (Luk 4:1). was Jesus led up--that is, from the low Jordan valley to some more elevated spot. of the Spirit--that blessed Spirit immediately before spoken of as descending upon Him at His baptism, and abiding upon Him. Luke, connecting these two scenes, as if the one were but the sequel of the other, says, "Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led," &c. Mark's expression has a startling sharpness about it--"Immediately the Spirit driveth Him" (Mar 1:12), "putteth," or "hurrieth Him forth," or "impelleth Him." (See the same word in Mar 1:43; Mar 5:40; Mat 9:25; Mat 13:52; Joh 10:4). The thought thus strongly expressed is the mighty constraining impulse of the Spirit under which He went; while Matthew's more gentle expression, "was led up," intimates how purely voluntary on His own part this action was. into the wilderness--probably the wild Judean desert. The particular spot which tradition has fixed upon has hence got the name of Quarantana or Quarantaria, from the forty days--"an almost perpendicular wall of rock twelve or fifteen hundred feet above the plain" [ROBINSON, Palestine]. The supposition of those who incline to place the temptation amongst the mountains of Moab is, we think, very improbable. to be tempted--The Greek word (peirazein) means simply to try or make proof of; and when ascribed to God in His dealings with men, it means, and can mean no more than this. Thus, Gen 22:1, "It came to pass that God did tempt Abraham," or put his faith to a severe proof. (See Deu 8:2). But for the most part in Scripture the word is used in a bad sense, and means to entice, solicit, or provoke to sin. Hence the name here given to the wicked one--"the tempter" (Mat 4:3). Accordingly "to be tempted" here is to be understood both ways. The Spirit conducted Him into the wilderness simply to have His faith tried; but as the agent in this trial was to be the wicked one, whose whole object would be to seduce Him from His allegiance to God, it was a temptation in the bad sense of the term. The unworthy inference which some would draw from this is energetically repelled by an apostle (Jam 1:13-17). of the devil. The word signifies a slanderer--one who casts imputations upon another. Hence that other name given him (Rev 12:10), "The accuser of the brethren, who accuseth them before our God day and night." Mark (Mar 1:13) says, "He was forty days tempted of Satan," a word signifying an adversary, one who lies in wait for, or sets himself in opposition to another. These and other names of the same fallen spirit point to different features in his character or operations. What was the high design of this? First, as we judge, to give our Lord a taste of what lay before Him in the work He had undertaken; next, to make trial of the glorious equipment for it which He had just received; further, to give Him encouragement, by the victory now to be won, to go forward spoiling principalities and powers, until at length He should make a show of them openly, triumphing over them in His cross: that the tempter, too, might get a taste, at the very outset, of the new kind of material in man which he would find he had here to deal with; finally, that He might acquire experimental ability "to succor them that are tempted" (Heb 2:18). The temptation evidently embraced two stages: the one continuing throughout the forty days' fast; the other, at the conclusion of that period. FIRST STAGE:

Again, the devil taketh him up--"conducteth him," as before. into--or "unto" an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them--Luke (Luk 4:5) adds the important clause, "in a moment of time"; a clause which seems to furnish a key to the true meaning. That a scene was presented to our Lord's natural eye seems plainly expressed. But to limit this to the most extensive scene which the natural eye could take in, is to give a sense to the expression, "all the kingdoms of the world," quite violent. It remains, then, to gather from the expression, "in a moment of time"-- which manifestly is intended to intimate some supernatural operation--that it was permitted to the tempter to extend preternaturally for a moment our Lord's range of vision, and throw a "glory" or glitter over the scene of vision: a thing not inconsistent with the analogy of other scriptural statements regarding the permitted operations of the wicked one. In this case, the "exceeding height" of the "mountain" from which this sight was beheld would favor the effect to be produced.