The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 136

God." This new food was in e. clouble eense unknown, and the object of wonder to them; for they knew neither how nor whence it came, nor what it was when it had come, Perhaps it may seem rather remarkable that Jesus should put away and promptly reject the temptation by a mere quotation, and one found in such a com- paratively humble connection. But we must remember, on the other hand, that it was little enough of e. quotation, really sveaking; it was little else than his own original language-Moses rather the person who quotes. Meantime J~sus honours the Dible, reminding us how it is e. storehouse of truths and principles, the application and practice of which it is ours to find, The temptation of Jesus is one of the deep thing~ of his life, of Scripture, and even of our world. There is something in it which at present we fail, and are sure to fail, to compass. Be it so. There is also much in it that we can compass; much fraught with spiritual instruction and practical service for us. Else it would not have been here, and in the very foreground of three out of the four Gospel narratives. There is often a little confusion in some people's minds as to the phrase, " e. man is tempted;" for it does confessedly sometimes mean that a man feels working guiltily within him the temptation presented to him. But otherwise it strictly means, simply that the matter of temptation has been presented to him, been tried upun him, to its utmost power to influence or fascinate has sought to bewitch him; yet, perhaps, though it cha1med never so wisely, charmed all in vain. It is in this latter sense only that Jesus "was tempted." Whatever could smile after the manner of a tempting would smile on him; whatever could frown would frown; whatever could have the remotest chance of making his heart's perfect rectitude tremble but one moment like the needle to the pole, hovering one moment uncertain, tried its most subtle, but utterly in vain. Open as the heart of Jesus was beyond any other to all love, goodness, kindness, pain, it also resented more immediately and more thoroughly the faintest touch and impress of evil than any other nature. This immediate resentment of the challenge of evil was what kept the soul of Jesus so free from a finger-mark's impress or soil; while some, detracting thereby from the meritoriousness of Christ's victory over temptations, have assumed that, because he resisted so immediately, it was the symptom of a stoical absence of feeling I Jesus Christ had just submitted to the baptism of water, and received that of the Holy Ghost. He was now to receive the baptism of temptation, while in no far distance awaited him that of blood and untold agony. (A) Notice in the attack of this, the first of the three recorded temptations, that- I. 1T PURPORTED TO BASE ITS FORCE AND PLANT ITS ATTACK, IN FAITH OF THE WEAKNESS THAT LURKS IN BODILY APPETITE. Jesus was prepared, presumably, not to resist and conquer, but rather to yield, by reason of beiug "a-hungered," and, if the expression be allowable, fiercely so. Compare the essence of this temptation with that presented to our first parents, which rested not on hunger, but on the attraction of indulgence and inviting, luscious food; again, with that of Esau; and with that of the Israelites. II. SATAN APPEARS Ill' ORDER BY HUNGER TO TEMPT TO EVIL DISTINCTLY. When God tempted the Israelites by hunger, he did not tempt by evil, for huuger is not in itself any evil in the sense of being sinful; nor did he tempt to evil, for ha would have been infinitely more pleased the.t the end of that tempting should have brought honour and confirmed strength to the people. But in the present instance, while it is not Satan who makes Jesus "a-hungered," it is he who comes, in the day of Jesus' fierce hun)l.er, to attempt what worst thing he can get out of that hunger. !JI. 'fHE POINT OF THE TEMPTATION LAY IN SUGGESTING AND SOLIOITING THE SATIS- FYING OF A PERFECTLY INNOCENT APPETITE, BUT IN A MANNER AND BY A METHOD UNWORTHY OF JEsus. At the first blush of the thing, the evil feature in the temptation may not seem so patent. But the unerring eye unveils it at once. 1. Christ can do things which he nevertheless won't do, It is e. reminder for us all that we have no right always to do the thing for which we may have the resources of abundant might. It is like a man saying, as men ofton have said, with as infinite wrongness to their own soul as supreme complaisance, that "he has a right to do what ho likes with his own mouey" -e. speech most infidell We have no right to do what we "like," but only what ia right I 2. Not only can Jesus do things he won't do, but also he won't do for himself what he will do for others. Ho ,mn make stones bread; he can make stones cry 011t; he can make the stone, of the temple walls utter forth his praise; he can out of stonea  1 ~6 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING '1'0 ST. MATTHEW. [oa. rv. l-25.