NOTES for Luk 4:1-13

What is the Savior's temptation in the wilderness? Why did it become possible? The simple and traditional answer is that He, while remaining Man in His divinity, could be subjected to temptation by the devil just like any person. But this is only part of the answer. Every temptation is a test; in Greek (and also in Hebrew), both concepts are denoted by one word. So what was the meaning of the test?

Jesus is the Messiah, and the test was, obviously, connected precisely with His messianic ministry. More exactly, with the possibility of distorting that ministry and thereby making it meaningless. Distorting it just as the devil had already managed to distort it in the minds of many believing Jews, those who expected a miracle-working Messiah, a Messiah who would provide His subjects with complete abundance - of course, on earth, in our world, still by no means transfigured and lying in evil. In fact, this is exactly what the devil proposes that the Savior do: turn stones into bread; demonstrate miracles connected with superhuman abilities hidden in human nature.

But the main temptation lies elsewhere: the devil offers Jesus a deal. He tries to assure the Savior that the world in fact belongs to him, the devil, and not to God. And that the Kingdom must be negotiated with him, with the devil, if Jesus, of course, wants His Kingdom to have any place in the world at all. The devil tempts the Savior with the very same thing with which he tempts every person doing God's work; that is why the description of this temptation is important for us. If He were tempted in some special way, invented only for the Messiah, the story of His temptations would be interesting to us only theoretically. And, of course, biographically, as a most important episode of Christ's earthly ministry.

But one way or another, in one form or another, all this awaits any of us if we are Christians and want to follow Christ on His path. To substitute something for the Kingdom and its life - whether the illusory possibility of universal earthly prosperity or the development of superhuman abilities. And if that does not work, then to offer a deal, a compromise that will shield us from problems and troubles on the Christian path in a world lying in evil. Each of us has to resist these temptations. Throughout our earthly journey. Provided, of course, that our earthly journey really is a continuation of His path. The path of the Kingdom, running through a world lying in evil.