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.
Matthew 4:8-11
Πάλιν παραλαμβάνει αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν λίαν καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Ταῦτα πάντα σοι δώσω ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοι
τότε λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ὕπαγε Σατανᾶ· γέγραπται γάρ, Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις
Τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος καὶ ἰδού, ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ
The first two temptations in Matthew began with “If you are the Son of God” – the third, here, does not.
Before the Exile, God tests. After the Exile, Satan has this role (cf. Job; Zech 3:1-2; 1 Chr 21:1). “Jesus was led up BY (my emphasis) the Spirit into the wilderness TO BE TEMPTED (my emphasis) by the devil.” (Matt 4:1).
We have met “pay homage” (προσκυνήσῃς) at Matt 2:2, 8, 11. We will see this at Matt 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 18:26; 20:20; 28:17. Here, the devil intends a role reversal.
“Away with you, Satan!” (Ὕπαγε Σατανᾶ)
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! (Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου Σατανᾶ) You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
Matthew 16:23
Luke’s version of this temptation does not have, “Away with you, Satan!” Matthew appears to connect this to Peter’s refusal to accept Christ’s passion.
‘for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ – Actually, this time, it isn’t! Neither the Hebrew of Deut 6:13, not the Septuagint Greek version have as written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” They have, “The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear.” [“Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ.” Septuagint] Good luck to selectively biblical literalists!
The temptations conclude with the shift back from the Q narrative (shared by Matthew and Luke) to Mark: “angels came and waited on him” (cf Mark 1:13).
As this year the Sunday Gospel reading focus is on St Matthew’s Gospel, I thought I’d start some of my personal study and Lectio Divina with that Gospel. [NB. I am using ‘Matthew’ as a convenient term for the author of the first Gospel in the order of the Christian canon].
This is the twenty-eighth post in a series – you can begin here:
Matthew in Slow Motion 1
Matthew in Slow Motion 2
Matthew in Slow Motion 3
Matthew in Slow Motion 4
Matthew in Slow Motion 5
Matthew in Slow Motion 6
Matthew in Slow Motion 7
Matthew in Slow Motion 8
Matthew in Slow Motion 9
Matthew in Slow Motion 10
Matthew in Slow Motion 11
Matthew in Slow Motion 12
Matthew in Slow Motion 13
Matthew in Slow Motion 14
Matthew in Slow Motion 15
Matthew in Slow Motion 16
Matthew in Slow Motion 17
Matthew in Slow Motion 18
Matthew in Slow Motion 19
Matthew in Slow Motion 20
Matthew in Slow Motion 21
Matthew in Slow Motion 22
Matthew in Slow Motion 23
Matthew in Slow Motion 24
Matthew in Slow Motion 25
Matthew in Slow Motion 26
Matthew in Slow Motion 27
Matthew in Slow Motion 28
