So, we continue our journey through the book of Matthew. We now come to the place of Jesus’ temptations…or testings depending on which way you translate the Greek word peirazo. The word itself can mean either temptation or testing, and I personally believe gives us a clue about what Matthew is trying to teach us with this episode from his gospel. In fact, it is surprising to me that with all the messages preached from this text, the one major message about which Matthew is commenting is nearly universally ignored. And yet, it is understanding this central…dare we say original message…that unlocks the depth and meaning for us today. So, why would I say that this word peirazo gives us a clue to the meaning? Let’s talk about that for a minute.
There are certain words in the bible that can be equally translated into two or three words. In these situations, it is often the surrounding context and other bible verses that help us know which way the word should be translated. If we look at what the Bible says about God in the area of tempting people, we see that the book of James says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” (James 1:13) Now, this is significant, because we know that it is the Spirit of God that leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted. In addition, if we understand that the desert is a place of testing…not only for Jesus but for Israel as well…then it could be that God’s goal is not to cause His Son to stumble, but rather to test His resolve and solidify the resolve within Jesus heart to faithfully follow Him, even in the face of demonic oppression.
Now, this fits not only the immediate context, but also the larger context of the whole Bible. You see, in Deuteronomy 8 God says this to the nation of Israel, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut. 8:2-3) Now, notice the parallels here. Jesus spends one day in the desert for every year Israel spent in the desert. God led Israel in the desert and Jesus into the desert. Israel grew hungry, and God provided her with food. Jesus grows hungry, and in the end is waited on by angels. Finally, note that Jesus actually quotes from this very passage when facing one of the testings before him.
So, why does this matter? Well, it matters because our wilderness experiences are not necessarily always evil attacks by the devil to trip us up. Rather, they are sometimes God’s way of testing our hearts…of revealing to ourselves where our resolve to follow must be strengthened…and then to realize if we will obey that God will provide what we need in order to follow. It is in the desert where God tests and refines our hearts so that we will follow Him more fully. And, because Jesus has succeeded…and because within us is the power of Christ…then we too can survive the test and live faithfully. This also means that God never, ever seeks to destroy us with trials. Rather, He seeks to refine us through testing. His goal is never evil, but always good. So, if you are going through a testing time…if you are in the midst of the desert…accept it as a time of humbling and testing so that when you have stood the test in the power of Christ, God will strengthen you and purify your heart. Rather than being angry with God for seeking to destroy you, thank Him for loving you enough to refine your heart and mature His child. I think this is what it means to “learn the lesson of the desert.”
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