JC & the Law: in the wilderness with Satan … (12/20/18)
While the original telling of Jesus’ 40-day retreat1 to the wilderness2 in the Gospel of Mark is relatively unspectacular (“And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was there for forty days, and he was tempted by Satan; and he resided among the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him” ~ Mark 1:12-13), the retelling of the same in the first eleven verses of Matthew 4 (see also Luke 4:1-13) is overflowing with intrigue. First and foremost, the dramatic effect of the tale is intensified by noting that Jesus fasted for the entirety of the event (“He ate nothing at all during those days” ~ Luke 4:2).
Secondly, Satan didn’t merely tempt Jesus at the end of his fast, he tempted him greatly – and not only with bread to quench his hunger, but with unlimited political power and corporeal immortality3 as well. Thirdly (and for all Christian fundamentalists most importantly), the tempting rewards that Jesus rejects in the wilderness are essentially the very same rewards that the Messiah willingly accepts in the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14 – subtly yet powerfully stating what Jesus himself openly stated throughout his ministry, namely, that he was a prophet of The Way of selfless Love, not the Davidian Messiah his followers longed for him to be (see Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, John 5:41, John 7:16, John 8:50-54, John 12:44 et al).
Finally, in dismissing Satan the way that he does – namely, by repeatedly citing Scripture while repeatedly revering God and “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), the author has Jesus making it more than clear enough that he intends to be a radical reformer of the Law, not a blind follower or a rabid abdicator thereof.
“And Jesus said: ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ And so the devil left him, and immediately thereafter angels came and waited upon him.” ~ Matthew 4:10-11
……………………………………………………..
1Initially, it is important to note that the number 40, when referring to a particular length of time, symbolized (in this case quite appropriately) a period of probation, trial, and cleansing. Second, this particular episode (Jesus in the wilderness, tested by Satan) lucidly hearkens the reader back to the forty days and forty nights Moses spent on Mt. Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments from God (see Exodus 24:18). Of course, in both cases it is intriguing to note that the term “forty” in Jesus’ day was most often not used to identify a specific number, but was rather used to designate a generally large quantity. Thus, “forty days and forty nights” in all likelihood simply meant “an exceptionally long time.”
2More than a handful of respected biblical scholars believe that Jesus was a member of the Essenes, a sect of Judaism that – while notably less popular than their religious rivals, the Pharisees and the Sadducees – existed in large numbers throughout Roman Judea in Jesus’ day & age. The historian Josephus gave a detailed account of their lifestyle and cultural norms, such as the absence of personal property, the disavowal of monetary wealth, the refusal to own slaves or tolerate slavery, the refusal to murder animals for food or ritual sacrifice, a regular ritual of aquatic cleansing, and a devotion to the principles of charity, benevolence, and peaceful coexistence with others – all norms which resonated quite harmoniously with the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels. The Essenes also happened to live in desert communities – or “in the wilderness” – which would mean that Jesus possibly chose to engage his cleansing fast much close to the friendly confines of “home” than the passage would otherwise imply.
3Interestingly, Satan quotes from the Scriptures to tempt Jesus with immortality (reciting Psalm 91:11-12 in Matthew 4:6 & Luke 4:10-11); interesting not only as evidence that merely quoting Scripture is obviously not enough to make one truly holy or saved (see Matthew 7:21-22), but also interesting because archaeological evidence (found at Qumran and elsewhere) suggests that Psalm 91 was considered to be one of the more potent texts read during ancient Judean exorcisms – one of the best tools to use for those deemed to be demon-possessed.
;