Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - May, 2005

Bible Study - Commentaries
Verse 4:1

from Kaniyamparmabil Achen, the Great Teacher of Malankara

(Also refer Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4; 1-13; [compare to Genesis 3-6])

Verse 4:1: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the Calumniator” (Devil)

Calumniator (meaning - One who has made deception, lie as food): He got this name by tricking Eve into sin. So He is tempting our Lord who came to mend that sin. Whenever one takes the gifts of God like Baptism or Priesthood, one gets associated to God more. Such people will be tempted by the devil, just like he tempted Adam who was created in God’s image. At that time one should defeat the evil with the sword of God’s words. Devil defeated the first Adam. Second Adam defeated the devil.

“Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert”. Lord agrees to it and it shows Jesus is complete man. This desert is located between Jerusalem and Jericho. (Refer to this map: www.historicjesus.com/maps/places.html)

St. Christotom says we are tested:
1) To convince ourselves that we have become more powerful 
2) This happens when we have received a lot of gifts of God, and so we should not feel proud, because of the nobility of the Gifts of God
3) In order for us to become more powerful
4) In order us for us to become the symbol of the great asset God has given to us

The traps of the devil are kept for the consecrated people. St. Gregarious says that it was Holy Spirit who led the Lord.

St. Jerome says, ‘He was lead not like a prisoner but because of His wish for a battle with Satan.’ 

The traps of the devil are targeted to the righteous people. St. Gregory emphasizes that it was the Holy Spirit who led our Lord. 

Why did Jesus Christ allow the devil to tempt Him? St. Augustine, while explaining why Jesus Christ has been tempted, says, ‘Not only does He give His help in our temptations, but since He is our only Mediator, He was showing us a model.’

The word “lead” does not mean that Jesus Christ was in any way lesser than the Holy Spirit. Didn’t Andrew lead St. Peter? St. Jerome says that He was led by the Holy Spirit not like a prisoner but for the wish to fight against the Devil. The Devil tries to test us when we are alone (He tested Eve when she was alone without her husband, Adam nearby). It is not Christ alone that is led into the desert. Any sons of God who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them will be tempted. They cannot be lazy. Holy Spirit will guide them towards some dignified act. 

“He fasted forty days and forty nights”

Chrisostom: “Lord fasted not because He needed it, but to show how noble it is and to show us how great a fort it is against the devil and for us to understand that after baptism, we have to give importance to fasting and not to the worldly wishes.”

St. Gregory regarding the fasting for 40 days says: “Lord, Creator of everything did not eat any food for 40 days. So we also should fast during the time of Lent and overpower our worldly body.”

40 days of lent for 10 commandments of God: We broke God’s instructions through our body, given to us through the 10 commandments. Since we broke the 10 commandments because of the desires of our body, we can make the body suffer 40 times. Similar to offering 10% our income as tithe, let us submit 10% of a year to Lord. That is 6 weeks or 42 days. If we exclude Sundays, we are left with 36 days in a year. 

There is also an opinion that this was needed because 1) Sadducees hoped for a Messiah who could fulfill material desires. 2) But the Pharisees were looking forward to a Messiah who displayed supernatural powers 3) the Herodians were looking for a Political and material Messiah. But the church fathers were of the opinion that our Lord was tempted just like in Eden. Jewish Rabbies define devil as “one who generates bad desires and attracts one to the sin and cause one to perish by death.” 

Our Lord fasted for two reasons: 
1. To enjoy communion of Father. 
2. To show us a model 

What we can learn from the testing is that we should not think about what I can achieve from the gifts that God has given to us, but instead with those gifts what I can do for others. Our Lord never used His gifts for Himself but for always others. 

Fruits of fasting: 
1. We receive power of God (Moses, Elijah)
2. Anger of God will go away (Nineveh)
3. Perils will go away 
4. Impending dangers and self-sorrow will go away (2 Samuel 1:12, 12:16)
5. Devil will go away 
6. Situations will change (Esther)

How to fast:
1. With prayer (Ezra 8:23; Daniel 9:3)
2. Confession of sins (1 Samuel 7:6)
3. With humility (Nehemiah 9:1)

Old Testament examples of fasting are also found in David (2 Samuel 12:16), Nehemiah (1:4), Esther (4:16), and Daniel (9:3). In New Testament, the disciples of St. John (Mathew 9:14), Hannah (Luke 2:27), Cornelius (Acts 10:30), early Christians (Acts 13:2), Apostles (2 Cor. 6:5), Apostle Paul (Acts 27:21; 2 Cor. 11:27) had all fasted.

What are the different types of testing we may face? (1) Temptation to use God given gifts for our own benefits (2) Work for material benefits: forgetting God or working against God. 

How should we face the tests of the Evil? 
1. Ask for God to guide you 
2. Pray to the Lord 
3. Don’t doubt Him 
4. Never seek anything more than God or pray to any one other than Lord.