The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 104

points or regions of the temptation recorded. The order is slightly different in the accounts of St. Mauhew and St. Luke. That which is third in the one is second in the other, reminding us that too much stress is not to be laid on the mere sequence of the story. The first trial had reference to the urgont neec); it came in the form of the subtle insinuation, '' Bon of God, you are hungry: why not uee your power to satisfy the wants of nature? You have not bread, you cannot buy bread : why not bid these stones become bread?" Bo plausible, that the lie can scarcely be discerned. It is addresse,I to the ma.n on the most pressing side of his necessity. And Jesus meets it 1\11 man. "Man's only life is not that by bread, but that by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God." God's Word had made the stone a stone. He would not say the stone is a loaf. He must be throughout in harmony with the eternal word and will. 'l'hen how subtle is the second attack I Adhering to St. Matthew's orrler, " Thou art full of confidence in thy God. Thou dost trust him to the uttermost. Put thy faith to the proof. The Jews expect that their Messiah will descend from the clouds. Away to the top of yonder temple. Cast thyself down from thence. Do something striking ; thou knowest it is written, ' He shall give his angels charge over thee.' " How plausible the appeal to the Son of God on the side of his faith! And, once more- repelled by the counter-thrust, the counter-Scripture, "Thou shalt not try to the utter- most the Lord thy God, claiming a miraculous help for what is born of human pride and rashness "-mark the tact and the audacity in the final assault which the enemy makes. The love of power-that which is at once the strength and the weakness of every noble mind-shall be the wedge. "Son of God, look down on the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. Thou art seeking the sovereignty of man. I can give it thee. The force is thine; use it at my instigation. The dominion of love is one of toil and ~&in. Take what I offer. Think what blessings to the world will be at once secured. '!he sole condition is to fall down and worship me. Am I not the real king of the world?" It is the very climax of devilry, The temptation can go no further. "Then saith Jesus, Get thee behind me, Satan." It is the battle of man that is por- trayed. in man's Lord. " For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one." Here is the tempter who is tempting us, adapting the form of his solicita- tions to our tempers, our endowments, our circumstances. Here are the characteristics of his approaches, his doubts, his "ifs"(" if" is a devil-word which more than any other loosens the holdfasts of faith), his quotatiOMfrom Scripture when it suits his pur- pose to do so, his three g.,-eat heads of temptation-that which seeks us through bodily need or fleshly appetite, that which seeks us through even our purer and higher instincts, that which would draw us into the net by stirring up the pride of life, Ah! there is no sleeping with this tempter. "Watch and pray, lesr ye enter into temptation." IV. 'fHE VICTORY OF lJHRIST 18 OUR ENCOURAGEMENT. Blessed is the assurance contained in the words, "Get thee behind me, Satan." The devil is be'1ind Jesus, the Captain of our salvation. What is our position towards our Captain? A.part frum him? Ah, we may tremble! With him, in him? He is between us and Satan, and we can do all things through him strengthening. "Be of good cheer: I have overcome." Vers. 14-30.-The visit of Christ to Nazareth. The Lord is In Galilee, slowly moving from place to place, always in the character of Teacher, and always winning the applause of those who throng the synagogues. It is the period of unbroken popu• larity, ~hort but, so long as it lasts, complete. His face is towards bis native place, foreseeing aud, as we are reminded, foretelling that the tiJe will receive its first check there. The visit is in many ways significant. I. IT REMmDs us OF A DU'l'Y, "He came to Nazareth, where he had been brou~ht up." He haJ testified, when leaving Samaria, that a prophet is without honour in bis own country. But be will not turn from it. He makes it the place for the tirst unfolding of the blessed Messiah•mission. And, although cast forth from the city, he seems again to have visited Nazareth. "He does not give it up for a fir~t sin, though that sin may have been a grievous one." Is not this a lesson for all? The plac,· uf the upbringing, however far we may roam from it, has a claim on our special synq athy. Our owu should never be neglected. It is easier sometimes to deal with strangers. We can speak wore fraukly and op~nly to thew ; they meet us often more frankly :L11.i 96 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. LUKE. [en. rv. 1-«.