Matthew 4

1 THEN Jesus was led of the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted of the Devil.  2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.  3 And the tempter approached and said to him, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  4 Who answered and said, It is written, Not in bread alone does man live, but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  5 Then the Devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written. That he will give his angels charge of you, in their hands shall they hold you up, lest perhaps you knock your foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said to him again, It is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.  8 Again the Devil took him up into a very high mountain: and he showed him all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, 9 and said to him, All these will I give you, if falling down you will adore me.  10 Then Jesus said to him, Begone Satan: for it is written, The Lord your God shall you adore, him only shall you serve. 11 Then the Devil left him: and behold angels came, and ministered to him. 

Mark 1

12 And forthwith the Spirit drove him out into the desert. 13 And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights: and was tempted by Satan, and he was with beasts and the angels ministered to him.

Luke 4

1 AND Jesus full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was driven in the spirit into the desert, 2 forty days, and was tempted of the Devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were ended, he was hungered. 3 And the Devil said to him, If you be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus made answer unto him, It is written, That not in bread alone shall man live, but in every word of God. 5 And the Devil brought him into a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the whole world in a moment of time: 6 and he said to him, To you will I give this whole power, and the glory of them: for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I do give them: 7 you therefore if you will adore before me, they shall all be yours. 8 And Jesus answering, said to him, It is written, You shall adore the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. 9 And he brought him into Jerusalem, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple: and he said to him, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself from here downward. 10 For it is written, that He has given his angels charge over you, that they preserve you: 11 and that in their hands they shall bear you up, lest perhaps you knock your foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said to him, It is said, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. 13 And all the temptation being ended, the Devil departed from him until a time.

St. Augustine This whole narrative is given also in a similar manner by Luke, although not in the same order. And this makes it uncertain which of the two latter temptations took place first: whether it was that the kingdoms of the world were shown Him first, and then that He Himself was taken up to the pinnacle of the temple thereafter; or whether it was that this latter act occurred first, and that the other scene followed it. It is, however, a matter of no real consequence, provided it be clear that all these incidents did take place. And as Luke sets forth the same events and ideas in different words, attention need not ever be called to the fact that no loss results thereby to truth. Mark, again, does indeed attest the fact that He was tempted of the devil in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights; but he gives no statement of what was said to Him, or of the replies He made. At the same time, he does not fail to notice the circumstance which is omitted by Luke, namely, that the angels ministered unto Him. (Mark 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13) John, however, has left out this whole passage. (St. Augustine Harmony of the Gospels 2.16)

Weaved Together Luke 4:1a And Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:12-13b And immediately the Spirit took him out into the wilderness, to be tried of the devil; and he was with the beasts. Matt 4:2a And he fasted forty days and forty nights. Luke 4:2b And he ate nothing in those days, and at the end of them he hungered. Matt 4:2b-7And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, speak, and these stones shah become bread. Luke 4:5-7He answered and said, It is written, Not by bread alone shall man live, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil brought him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: And they shall take thee on their arms, So that thy foot shall not stumble against a stone. 49 Jesus said unto him, And it is written also, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And the devil took him up to a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the earth, and their glory, in the least time; and the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this dominion, and its glory, which is delivered to me that I may give it to whomsoever I will. If then thou wilt worship before me, all of it shall be thine. Matt 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve. Luke 4:13And when the devil had completed all his temptations, he departed from him for a season. Matt 4:11b And behold, the angels drew near and ministered unto him.

  John 3

24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

St. Remigius But this should be considered with more care that John says that the Lord went into Galilee, before John the Baptist was thrown into prison. According to John’s Gospel after the water turned into wine, and his going down to Capernaum, and after his going up to Jerusalem, he returned to Judaea and baptized, and John was not yet cast into prison. But here it is after John’s imprisonment that He retires into Galilee, and with this Mark agrees. But we need not suppose any contradiction here. John speaks of the Lord’s first coming into Galilee, which was before the imprisonment of John. He speaks in another place of His second coming into Galilee [John 4:3], and the other Evangelists mention only this second coming into Galilee which was after John’s imprisonment. (St. Remigius com. On Mt.)

Matthew 4

12 And when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee:

Mark 1

14 And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God,

Luke 4

14 And Jesus returned in the force of the Spirit into Galilee, and the fame went forth through the whole country of him.

John 4

1 WHEN Jesus therefore understood that the Pharisees heard that Jesus makes more Disciples, and baptizes, then John, 2 howbeit Jesus did not baptize, but his Disciples,  3 He left Judea, and went again into Galilee.  

Aquinas Then when he says, and went again to Galilee, he shows where he was going. He says, again, because above (2:12) he had mentioned another time when Christ went to Galilee: when he went to Capernaum after the miracle at the wedding. Since the other three evangelists did not mention this first trip, the Evangelist says again to let us know that the other evangelists had mentioned none of the matters he mentions up to this point, and that he is now beginning to give his account contemporaneous with theirs. (St. Thomas Aquinas Com. John.)

Lapide This was the second departure of Christ from Judea into Galilee. The first is related in John 1:43, and is the same which is referred to by St. Mark 1:14, St. Luke 4:14, and St. John 4:3, 43. (Cornelius a Lapide Com. On Mt.)

Matthew 4

13 and leaving the city Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum a sea town, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was said by Isaiah the prophet, 15 Land of Zebulun land of Naphtali, the way of the sea beyond Jordan of Galilee, of the Gentiles:  16 the people that sat in darkness, has seen great light: and to them that sat in a country of the shadow of death, light is risen to them.  17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

Mark 1

14 And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, That the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: be penitent and believe the Gospel.

Luke 4

14 And Jesus returned in the force of the Spirit into Galilee, and the fame went forth through the whole country of him. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, and was magnified of all.

John 4

 43 And after the two days he departed there: and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself gave testimony that a prophet has not honor in his own country. 45 Therefore when he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, whereas they had seen all things that he had done at Jerusalem in the festival day: for themselves also came to the festival day.

St. Augustine John relates in his Gospel the calling of Peter, Andrew, and Nathanael, and the miracle of Cana, before Jesus’ departure into Galilee; all these things the other Evangelists have omitted, carrying on the thread of their narrative with Jesus’ return into Galilee. We must understand then that some days intervened, during which the things took place concerning the calling of the disciples which John relates. (St. Augustine Harmony of the Gospels 2.)

Weaved Together Matthew 4:17a And from that time began Jesus to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God, and to say, Repent ye, and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven has come near.

Matthew 4

18 And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers).  19 And he said to them, Come after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men.  20 But they incontinent leaving the nets, followed him. 21 And going forward from there, he saw other two brethren, James of Zebedee and John his brother in a ship with Zebedee their father, repairing their nets: and he called them.  22 And they forthwith left their nets and father and followed him. 

Mark 1

16 And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said to them, Come after me and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him. 19 And being gone there a little further, he saw James of Zebedee, and John his brother, and them repairing their nets in the ship: 20 And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

Luke 5

1 AND it came to pass, when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, and he stood beside the lake of Gennesaret. 2 And he saw two ships standing by the lake: and the fishers were gone down, and washed their nets. 3 And he going up into one ship that was Simon's, desired him to bring it back a little from the land. And sitting, he taught the multitudes out of the ship. 4 And as he ceased to speak, he said to Simon, Launch forth into the deep, and let loose your nets to make a draught. 5 And Simon answering, said to him, Master, laboring all the night, we have taken nothing: but in your word I will let loose the net. 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net was broken. 7 And they beckoned to their fellows that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both ships, so that they did sink. 8 Which when Simon Peter did see, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, Go forth from me, because I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken. 10 In like manner also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's fellows. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not: from this time now, you shall be taking men. 11 And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.

John 1

35 The next day again John stood, and two of his disciples.  36 And beholding Jesus walking, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. 37 And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turning, and seeing them following him, said to them, What do you seek? Who said to him, Rabbi (which is called by interpretation, Master) where do you dwell? 39 He said to them, Come and see. They came, and saw where he abode and they tarried with him that day: and it was about the tenth hour. 40 And Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two that had heard of John, and followed him. 41 He found first his brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said, You are Simon the son of Jonah: you shall be called Cephas, which is interpreted, Peter. 43 On the next day he would go forth into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, Follow me. 44 And Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathaniel, and said to him, Him whom Moses in the law and the Prophets wrote of: we have found Jesus the son of Joseph, of Nazareth. 46 And Nathaniel said to him, From Nazareth can there be any good? Philip said to him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and he said of him, Behold an Israelite in very deed, in whom there is no guile. 48 Nathaniel said to him, How do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip did call you, when you was under the fig tree, I saw you. 49 Nathaniel answered him, and said, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel. 50 Jesus answered, and said to him, Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe: greater than these things shall you see. 51 And he said to him, Amen, Amen I say to you, You shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

McEvilly It is disputed whether the vocation recorded here, as also in Mark (i. 16-20), be the same, as that recorded in Luke (v. 1-11). Some expositors, with St. Augustine, Maldonatus, etc., say it is not. These maintain, that there were three calls of Peter, etc. The first (John i. 42), when there is question of a call to the knowledge and faith of Christ. The second (Luke v. 1-11), a call to familiar intercourse with our Lord. The third, the call to the Apostleship referred to here and Mark (i. 16-20). Maldonatus maintains, that, although on the occasion recorded by St. Luke, the Apostles "leaving all things, followed Him," and attached themselves to Him as His friends and disciples, and had been present at His miracles at Cana and Judea (John ii. 2,11, 23; John iii. 22; iv. 2 ; Acts i. 21, 22) ; still, they were not called to the Apostleship, except on the occasion referred to here by Si. Matthew, who expressly says, “He called them" With this call, they faithfully corresponded, never again leaving Him nor resuming their former occupation as a profession, save only for recreation and diversion, to banish the grief caused by His death (John xxi. 3). It is, however, more generally held, and seems more likely, that however, Matthew here and Luke (v. 1-11) may differ in detailing circumstances; they both refer to the same event. They both, agree in detailing one fact, viz., that " leaving all things, the Apostles followed Him" (Matthew iv. 20-22 ; Luke v. 11); and it is by no means likely that, having once followed Him, they again putting their hand to the plough, looking back, rendered themselves unfit for the kingdom of God. The difference in the detailed account of circumstances given by Matthew and Luke in reference to the same event may be easily reconciled, if it be borne in mind, that it is usual with St. Luke to detail events more fully and circumstantially, while he refers to the order of events, only in a general way. Whereas, Matthew is more particular in detailing the order of events than the circumstances; and in the history of the Gospel, it is observable, that one Evangelist describes certain circumstances often omitted by the other, even when speaking of the same thing, and, vice versa; so that, by connecting both, we generally have a full and detailed account of the events they record. And, in reference to this call of the Apostles, one Evangelist in describing it, does not deny what the other records. When St. Luke says, “they followed Him" after the miraculous draught of fishes (v. 11), he does not say that this happened at the same instant. Hence, he does not contradict St. Matthew's narrative regarding the short interval between the call of the brothers, Simon and Andrew, and John and James, and the successive order in which they were called, " and going on thence " (v. 21). The miraculous draught of fishes recorded by St. Luke as preceding, and leading to, the call of the Apostles (c. v.), St. Matthew only omits, but does not deny. (Bishop John McEvilly)

St. Thomas Aquinas About the calling of Peter and Andrew: for here it says that they were called near the Jordan, because they were John’s disciples; but in Matthew (4:18) it says that Christ called them by the Sea of Galilee. The answer to this is that there was a triple calling of the apostles. The first was a call to knowledge or friendship and faith; and this is the one recorded here. The second consisted in the prediction of their office: “From now on you will be catching men” (Lk 5:10). The third call was to their apostleship, which is mentioned by Matthew (4:18). This was the perfect call because after this they were not to return to their own pursuits. (St. Thomas Aquinas Com. On John.)

St. Augustine concerning John 1:42 Mark 3:16 The same Mark continues as follows: “And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;” and so on, down to where it is said, “And they cried out, saying, Thou art the Son of God: and He straightway charged them that they should not make Him known.”(Mark 1:40-3:12) Luke 4:41 also records something similar to the last passage which we have here adduced. But nothing emerges involving any discrepancy. Mark proceeds thus: “And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He would: and they came unto Him. And He ordained twelve that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach; and He gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. And Simon He surnamed Peter;” and so on, down to where it is said, “And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done: and all men did marvel.”(Mark 3:13-5:20) I am aware that I have spoken already of the names of the disciples when following the order of Matthew’s narrative. Here, therefore, I repeat the caution, that no one should suppose Simon to have received the name Peter on this occasion for the first time, or fancy that Mark is here in any antagonism with John, who reports that disciple to have been addressed long before in these terms: “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, A stone.”(John 1:42) For John has there recorded the very words in which the Lord gave him that name. Mark, on the other hand, has introduced the matter in the form of a recapitulation in this passage, when he says, “And Simon He surnamed Peter.” For, as it was his intention to enumerate the names of the twelve apostles here, and it was necessary for him thus to mention Peter, he decided briefly to intimate the fact that the said name was not borne by that disciple all along, but was given him by the Lord, not, however, at the time with which Mark was immediately dealing, but on the occasion in connection with which John has introduced the very words employed by the Lord. The other matters embraced within this paragraph, present nothing inconsistent with any of the other Gospels, and they have also been discussed previously. (St. Augustine Harmony of the Gospels 4.3)

Matthew 4

23 And Jesus went round about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom: and healing every malady and every infirmity in the people. 24 And the fame of him went into all Syria, and they presented to him all that were ill at ease, diversely taken with diseases and torments, and such as were possessed, and lunatics, and sick of the palsy and he cured them: 

Mark 1

39 And he was preaching in their synagogues, and in all Galilee: and casting out devils.

Luke 4

44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

St. Augustine But by this preaching, which, he says, “He continued in all Galilee,” is also meant the sermon of the Lord delivered on the mount, which Matthew mentions, and Mark has entirely passed over, without giving anything like it, except that he has repeated some sentences not in continuous order, but in scattered places, spoken by the Lord at other times. (St. Augustine Harmony on the Gospels 2.19)

Matthew 4-5

24 And the fame of him went into all Syria, and they presented to him all that were ill at ease, diversely taken with diseases and torments, and such as were possessed, and lunatics, and sick of the palsy and he cured them:  25 and much people followed him from Galilee and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and from beyond Jordan. 1 AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his Disciples came unto him,  2 and opening his mouth he taught them, saying, 

Mark 3

7 But Jesus with his Disciples retired to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee and Judea followed him, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from ldumea, and beyond Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 9 And he spoke to his Disciples that a boat might attend on him, because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10 For he healed many, so that there pressed in upon him for to touch him, as many as had hurts. 11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down unto him: and they cried, saying, 12 You are the Son of God. And he vehemently charged them that they should not disclose him.

Luke 6

17 And descending with them he stood in a plain place, and the multitude of his disciples, and a very great company of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon, 18 which came to hear him, and to be healed of their maladies. And they that were vexed of unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the multitude sought to touch him, because virtue went forth from him, and healed all.

St. Thomas Aquinas But here there is a question: for this sermon relates many of the same things found in Luke 6. But discrepancies seem to exist here and there, as is evident in the text. And so Augustine gives two solutions. One is that this sermon is a different sermon from the other one: for, firstly, He went up into the mountain, and He gave this sermon to His disciples: and afterwards, coming down, He found the crowd gathered, to which He preached the same thing, and He recapitulated many things: and of this it is related in Lk 6. Or it can be explained otherwise, that there was one mountain, and it had a level spot on its side: a higher peak was rising above that level spot. Hence, the Lord went up into the mountain, meaning that he went up into a level spot of that mountain. And, firstly, He went up higher, and called together the disciples, and there He chose the twelve Apostles, just as it is related in Luke: and afterwards, coming down, He found the crowd gathered together, and when His disciples came He sat down, and gave this sermon to the crowds and disciples. And this seems to be more true: because Matthew relates in the end of the sermon (chap. 7, 28) that “the people were in admiration at his doctrine.” (Aquinas, St. Thomas Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew (p. 141). Dolorosa Press)

Lapide Observe, Matthew wished to commence with the preaching of Christ, and to deliver the sum of it at the beginning of his Gospel, which he did by giving an account of this discourse, although it was actually preached some considerable time after. For many events preceded it, which he relates subsequently. The sequence of the history was as follows:—After Christ had restored the hand of a certain man which was withered, on the Sabbath day (Matt. xii. 15), He fled from the anger of the Scribes, and betook Himself to the Sea of Galilee. Here a vast multitude of people flocked to Him, and after He had healed many who were sick, He went up into a mountain, where He remained the whole night in prayer. In the morning He appointed the twelve Apostles (Luke vi. 12). When He had done this He came down from the top of the mountain to a lower level, and there He delivered the sermon which follows, partly to His disciples and partly to the whole multitude. That the people were present at it is plain from chap. vii. 28. Moreover, that this is the same sermon of which S. Luke gives an account in his sixth chapter is clear, because the general thread of each is the same, and because they have the same commencement and the same conclusion. For although Matthew has eight Beatitudes and Luke only four, yet in the eight of the former are comprised the four of the latter; and in S. Luke’s four S. Matthew’s eight are contained. Moreover, Matthew puts off the vocation of the Apostles, which preceded the sermon, to the tenth chapter; for not as yet has he related his own calling by Christ, which he gives in chap. ix. But it is certain that Matthew as well as the other Apostles was present at the sermon. This sermon was delivered about the middle of May, and the choosing of the Apostles had taken place on the morning of the same day, in Christ’s thirty-second year, and the second year of His ministry.

Weaved Together Mark 3:7 And he went towards the sea: and there followed him much people from Galilee that he might pray, Mark 3:8 and from Judæa, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumæa, and from beyond Jordan, and from Tyre, and from Sidon, and from Decapolis; and great multitudes came unto him, which had heard what he did. Mark 3:9 And he spoke to his disciples to bring him the boat because of the multitudes, that they might not throng him. Mark 3:10 And he healed many, so that they were almost falling on him on account of their seeking to get near him. And those that had plagues and unclean spirits, Mark 3:11 as soon as they beheld him, would fall, and cry out, and say, You are the Son of God. Mark 3:12 And he rebuked them much, that they should not make him known. Luke 6:18 And those that were under the constraint of unclean spirits were healed. Luke 6:19 And all of the crowd were seeking to come near him; because power went out from him, and he healed them all.  Matthew 5:1a And when Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up to the mountain. Luke 6:13b And he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve; and they are those whom he named apostles: Luke 6:14 Simon, whom he named Cephas, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, Luke 6:15 and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Simon which was called the Zealot, Luke 6:16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas the Iscariot, being he that had betrayed him. Luke 6:17a And Jesus went down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and the great multitude of people. Mark 3:14 And these twelve he chose to be with him, and that he might send them to preach, and to have power to heal the sick and to cast out devils.