The first temptation
(Matthew 4:1-11 Mark 1:12-13 Luke 4:1-13) 1 THEN Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. 3 And the tempter coming 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. (Deut. 8:3)
Jesus is tempted a second time 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 has given his angels charge over you, and in their hands shall they bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone. (Ps. 91:11-12) 7 Jesus said to him: It is written again: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. (Deut. 6:16)
The devil tempts Jesus a third time 8 Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and 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, and him only shall you serve. (Deut. 6:13) 11 Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.
Jesus in Capharnaum
(Matt 4:12 Mark 1:14 Luke 4:14 John 4:1-3) 12 And when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee:
Ministry in Galilee
(Matt 4:13-17 Mark 1:14-15 Luke 4:14-15 John 4:43-46) 13 And leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim; 14 That it might be fulfilled which was said by Isaiah the prophet: 15 Land of Zabulon and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people that sat in darkness, has seen great light: and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up. (Is. 9:1-2) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The first disciples called
(Matt 4:18-22 Mark 1:16-20 Luke 5:1-11 John 1:35-51) 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 And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him. 21 And going on from there, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. 22 And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed him.
Mission of preaching and miracles
(Matt 4:23 Mark 1:39 Luke 4:44) 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity, among the people.
Occasion of the Sermon
(Matt 4:24-25; 12:15-16 Mark 3:7-12 Luke 6:17-19) 24 And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by demons, and lunatics, and those that had palsy, and he cured them: 25 And much people followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Commentary on Matthew 4
4:1-11 Christ wished to be tempted; first that He might strengthen us against temptations. Hence Gregory says in a homily (16 in Evang.): "It was not unworthy of our Redeemer to wish to be tempted, who came also to be slain; in order that by His temptations He might conquer our temptations, just as by His death He overcame our death." Secondly, that we might be warned, so that none, however holy, may think himself safe or free from temptation. Wherefore also He wished to be tempted after His baptism, because, as Hilary says (On Matth. 3): "The temptations of the devil assail those principally who are sanctified, for he desires, above all, to overcome the holy. Hence also it is written Ecclus. 2: "Son, when you come to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation." Thirdly, in order to give us an example: to teach us how to overcome the temptations of the devil. Hence Augustine says (De Trin. 4) that Christ "allowed Himself to be tempted" by the devil, "that He might be our Mediator in overcoming temptations, not only by helping us, but also by giving us an example." Fourthly, in order to fill us with confidence in His mercy. Hence it is written in Heb. 4:15: "We have not a high-priest, who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin." (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.41.1)
4:2 fasted: It was becoming that Christ should wish to fast before His temptation. First, in order to give us an example. For since we are all in urgent need of strengthening ourselves against temptation, by fasting before being tempted, He teaches us the need of fasting in order to equip ourselves against temptation. Hence the Apostle in 2 Cor. 6:5, 7 reckons "fastings" together with the "armor of justice." Secondly, in order to show that the devil assails with temptations even those who fast, as likewise those who are given to other good works. And so Christ's temptation took place after His fast, as also after His baptism. So since rather Chrysostom says (Hom. 13 on Matt.): "To instruct you how great a good is fasting, and how it is a most powerful shield against the devil; and that after baptism you should give yourself up, not to luxury, but to fasting; for this cause Christ fasted, not as needing it Himself, but as teaching us." Thirdly, because after the fast, hunger followed, which made the devil dare to approach Him, as already stated. Now, when "our Lord was hungry," says Hilary (on Matt. 3), "it was not because He was overcome by want of food, but because He abandoned His manhood to its nature. For the devil was to be conquered, not by God, but by the flesh." Wherefore Chrysostom too says: "He proceeded no farther than Moses and Elijah, lest His assumption of our flesh might seem incredible." (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.41.3) forty: The number, FORTY, in Scripture, from the earliest history of the world, marks several events of the utmost importance to man, from the forty days of the deluge to the forty days fast of our Divine Redeemer. To His fast of forty days is also added, and forty nights, to distinguish it, from the Jewish fasts which were confined to the day only. At night, they could use food. His fast did not exceed forty natural days, including days and nights, lest He might not be regarded as human; since no other human being, not even Moses or Elijah, exceeded that term in fasting. (Bishop John McEvilly)
4:5 Some say that all the temptations took place in the desert. Of these some say that Christ was led into the Holy City, not really, but in an imaginary vision; while others say that the Holy City itself, Jerusalem, is called "a desert," because it was deserted by God. But there is no need for this explanation. For Mark says that He was tempted in the desert by the devil, but not that He was tempted in the desert only. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 3.41.2.3) pinnacle: It is probable that this pinnacle was the ridge or extreme point of the roof of the porch of that part of the Temple which was called the Sanctuary, or the Holy of Holies. (Cornelius a Lapide)
4:8 How, then, did he present all kingdoms before the eyes of Christ?
1. Origen understands kingdoms mystically, as the reign of the devil, in which he rules in some men by anger, in others by pride, in others by gluttony, and so on. Listen to Origen: “The |
devil showed Him innumerable multitudes of men whom he held in his dominion, and said unto Him, ‘I know that Thou art come to fight against me, and take my subjects from under my sway. I ask You not to contend with me. You need not trouble Yourself to fight. One thing only do I ask, that Thou shouldst fall down and worship me, and then receive all my empire.’” But this is mystical, not literal.
2. Some think that the devil flew with Christ through all the kingdoms of the world, and in this manner showed them to Him; but the language used will not admit of this interpretation. It was from their position on the mountain that Satan showed Christ the kingdoms.
3. St. Cyprian (Tract. de Tentat. Christi) is of opinion that they were not shown to the senses, but to the imagination.
4. Others suppose that the demon, by means of many mirrors reflecting from one to the other, gathered together the appearances of all the kingdoms of the world. Similarly we now behold very distant objects by means of a nautical telescope.
5. And with more probability, Euthymius and others, with St. Thomas (3 p., q. 41, art. 4) say that the devil took Christ up on a lofty mountain, that he might show Him, at least in a confused way, the situation of each kingdom, as by saying thus: “There in that direction is Asia; there is Europe, here is Syria, there is Italy”—and all this in a moment, as Luke says, that is, in an extremely brief space of time. (Cornelius a Lapide)
4:11 Whereupon angels serve Him to show that the angels will serve us as well after our victory over temptation. For everything that Christ did and revealed was for our sake, since the angels are always serving Him as God. (Theophylact)
4:15-16 This prophecy of Isaiah is understood by many (among them Jansenius Gandavensis, Calmet, &c.) to refer, in its primary and literal signification, to the providential liberation of Jerusalem, in the reign of Ezekiel, from the hands of the Assyrians. The people of Jerusalem were in the greatest straits; in the very shadow of death, when suddenly “a great light” shone upon them, and, in one night, the Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 of the hosts of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35). In its mystical sense, as being an expressive type of the redemption through Christ, it is quoted here by the Evangelist; and, most likely, the Prophet himself intended, primarily, the mystical sense, or, the liberation through Christ; for, lie at once bursts forth with the words, which have manifest reference to our Divine Redeemer. (Bishop John McEvilly)
4:18-19 These two had been disciples of John, and while John was still living they had approached Christ. But when they saw John arrested, they returned again to their fishing, and so Christ comes, fishing for them. (Theophylact) fishers: Had educated ones been chosen, he might have attributed the choice to the merit of their learning. (St. Augustine On Jn 8.7)
4:22 James and John are praised for leaving their parents and following our Lord, not that their father incited them to evil, but because they deemed it possible for him to find another means of livelihood, if they followed Christ. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.101.4.1)
4:23 Jesus enters the synagogues of the Hebrews to show that He is not opposed to the law. (Theophylact)
4:24 lunatics: He is not speaking of those who were truly lunatics, but of those who were thought to be lunatics due to the deception of demons. (St. Jerome) ‘Lunatics’ are so called from the moon 'lunar'. (Remigius of Auxerre) Demons when summoned through certain constellations, come for two reasons. Firstly, in order to lead man into the error of believing that there is some Divine power in the stars. Secondly, because they consider that under certain constellations corporeal matter is better disposed for the result for which they are summoned. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 1.115.5.2) |
Catechism Cross-reference
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