lies, promises, and Jesus

1st Sunday in Lent

Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11 

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
   and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ 
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.” ’ 

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. 

We begin every season of Lent hearing the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.  The forty days of Lent find their origin in this story and its relation to its predecessor stories about Israel’s 40 year journey through the wilderness, Moses’ and Elijah’s forty day sojourn on the mountain of God, and Noah’s 40 days in the Ark.  Jesus’ responses to the devils’ tempting offers  are all derived from the book of Deuteronomy, a law book describing true, loving obedience to God.  Jesus’ answers are the answers of a well-versed rabbi.  He knows the scripture and how it applies to his situation.  Jesus is tempted, and unlike his biblical forerunners, Jesus does not take the forbidden fruit.  As we heard in the Genesis 2 story, Adam and eve believed a lie and ate the fruit God told them not to eat.  Sin, understood as disobedience to God’s will, is preceded by a lie—a lie about God and a lie about human kind.