Tentatio | Temptation

"... Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" — Mat 4:10 (NIV) 

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

In the wilderness when we spend the time, we really are alone and feel lonely even sometimes afraid too. I was afraid to go into the wilderness. However, we can meet God face to face there, and know that God touches us, and heals us, and recovers us. Now I am slowly learning that the wilderness gives us experience of grace. 

However, I was wondering why Jesus was led into the wilderness after fasting forty days and forty nights. Jesus could reject these hard times to go through if he had wished. On the other hand, since Jesus came to the world as a human, just like us, very weak human, He obeyed the guidance of the Spirit and experienced the test as a human who feels hunger, pain, and loneliness. Just like we experience in our life. 

The devil doesn't come as it is, but changes the figure of itself as a tempter, and tries to tempt our mind and feeling. They are so clever that we may not notice that it was a temptation, but we may think " we have to do this" or "we have to get this" and so on. Jesus was tempted by the devil using appetite, greed for material, and greed for honor. He chose the Word of God, and obeyed it completely, and won against temptation. 

In our life, we may be shaken by the tempter, however, we can choose the Word of God, then God will give us strength to obey the Word of God, and give us victory in the Lord. We are weak, but strong in the word of God. "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." 

Let's live in the word of God. Every day we may face the temptation, but we can choose what the Word of God says, then we will have victory.

Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11 by Michiko Mikata

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