Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 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.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Trust God or Test God?

At the beginning of Lent, we are proposed the narrative about the temptations according to Matthew.

The Messiah was expected by Israel to prove His messianic status through:

Freeing Israel from foreign occupation, Luke 24:21;
Cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem, Malachi 3:1, Zacharia 14:21; and
Restoring David's kingdom, Acts 1:6.

The evil spirit knows what the Messiah is supposed to do for those awaiting His coming. The spirit also knows scripture and is going to use the holy words to trap Jesus by distorting their meaning. The evil spirit uses Jesus' fasting as a justification and, even more, he is using biblical references to convince tempted Jesus and lead Him to take the bait.

Temptations portray desire as a necessary need for life.

Jesus responds to the spirit's distorted biblical quotations with biblical quotations as intended by God, making the difference between Trusting God and Testing God. The evil spirit quotes, "Angels shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash the foot against a stone," Psalm 91:11-12. Jesus responds with, "Do not test the Lord your God," Deuteronomy 6:16.

Here are a few seeds of meditation related to today's Gospel.

Everybody is exposed to temptation according to his/her skills, rank or position.
The evil spirit offers justification by turning desires into vital needs, pretending to propose the best option as if it were worthy of implementation without hesitation or delay.
The Gospel teaches us to understand and respect Scriptures without distorting or abusing them.
Don't be aware of the glory of the world without the glory of the Cross.
Obedience to the evil spirit leads to perdition, while obedience to the Holy Spirit leads to redemption and salvation.
Giving in to tempting advice leads to regret, where it will be too late and useless.

Lent is the season where we are invited to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus on His way to the resurrection. Wishing a blessed fasting season to you and yours.