Matthew 4:1-17
It changes so quickly. Fresh out of the waters, Jesus heads into the wilderness. He fasts for 40 days and 40 nights, echoing back to the exodus. Like those in the exodus, he ends up being hungry. And that is when temptation appears. Temptation appears and invites Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus resists. Temptation takes him to a high place and invites Jesus to jump just to be caught by angels. Jesus resists. Temptation takes Jesus to the top of the mountain and shows him everything, and promises that it can be all his. (Even though it already is.) Jesus resists.
In the moment, Temptation is strong. What do we resist, and what gets the better of us? Is it bread when we’re hungry, or being recognized, or power? Jesus has to know his stuff to respond that quickly. We need to know our stuff to handle these situations. Jesus responds with Scripture, yes, but also with knowledge and trust in God. What do we know about God to help us resist temptation? And what do we have at the tip of our tongue to say about God?
