The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 108

to look too much to our own feelingA, o.nd to dwell too little on the goodneee and the lovo of God; e.lso 11s to (2) our own reputation, and the eetimati()n in which we are held 11mong men. 2. Exce6,9ive disappointment and co,1sequent dieheartenment con- oerning (1) the life we e.re living before God; (2) the work we are doing for our fellow- men; (3) the progress of the kingdom of God. But though we may po.as through these struggles we may come safely out of them. The remedies are these: (1) An e.ppeal to God for his guidance e.nd inspiration; (2) a resort to the promises of hie Word; (3) a timely return to the activities of daily work, of public worship, of active usefulness.-O. Vere. 2-4.-The temptation of the jleah. There can be no question as to the reality of the temptation. Without contending for the strictly literal sense of the passage, we do maintain that the temptation was a very real thing to onr Lord. It constituted a serious struggle through which he went, out of which he came forth victorious, by passing through which be was our Exemplar. We cannot afford to lose this aspect of his life, this view of our Lord himself; but we must beware lest we do; for " if we shrink from believing that he really felt the force of temptation . . . we make that Divine life a mere mimic representation of griefs that were not real, and surprises that were feigned, and sorrows that were theatrical. But thus we lose the Saviour." It was a real conflict that is here depicted; and the first stage of it was that through which we have all, in our time, to pass-the stem contest with the temptation of the flesh. I. THE SEVERITY OF THE TEMPTATION. "He hnngered" after long fasting. Hunger, in its severer forms, is unknown to ns. In a country like this we have no experience of it. We can only judge of it from the testimony of those who have endured it; and, thus judging, we are sure that it is a very urgent, imperious, almost irresistible craving. The extremities and inhumanities to which it has driven men who are not naturally inhuman tell their own tale with terrible force. Our Master was suffering, we may well believe, from the most severe pangs of want. There were stones of the size and colour of such a loaf as he would have given everything (it would be right to give) to obtain. Ily an easy exertion of bis miraculous power he could tum the one into the other. Why not do so? Because to do that would be to take himself out of the hands of that heavenly Father to whose care he was committed, and manifest distrust in his providential goodness. Or because to do so would be to employ his Divine power first on his own behalf, instead of using it, as on the occasion of its first exercise it behoved him to employ it, on behalf of others. Or because to do that would be to give present and bodily cravings precedence of the great concerns of the kingdom of God. For some such reason our Lord thought that it would be wrong or, at any rate, undesirable for him to act on the suggestion, and he forbore. Tempta- tion of the fleshly kind comes to us in the shape of hunger, or thirst, or sexual passion. 1. These trials of our moderation and self-government are more or less severe accord- ing to (1) our temperament and (2) our circumstances. 2. They may lead us into errors and evils which are (1) mistakes to be avoided; or (2) indiscretions to be con- demned and regretted, and, of course, forsaken; or (3) vices and sins which are shameful and deadly, which stain the conscience, which ruin the reputation, which lead down to swift destruction. II. THE WAY OF VICTORY. When the hour of conflict comes we must gird onrselves for the fight; and though the peril may be great because the enemy is strong, yet have we great resources, and there is no reason why we should not win the battle. We should call to our help our regard for: 1. The will of God as revealed in his Word; that "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," should be at haud with us as it was with our great Leader: "It is written." 2. The penalty of disobedience-a very heavy one in its ultimate issues. 3. The example of our Divine Master, calmly putting aside the false suggestion, preferring to suffer rather than to sin. 4. The consideration tl,:Lt sin excludes us from other and higher blessings. Better far, in the thought of Christ, to rest in bodily hunger, committing himself to the faithfulness of the holy Father. And bow much better than any physical enjoyment is the satisfaction of spirit which attends purity 1md piety I Not the bread of bodily comfort, but the sense of God's abiding favour, the continuance of the friendship of Christ, the cherisl'ing of a heavenly hopa,-that is the good thing to prize aud to pursue.-C.  TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST, LUKE. [en. rv. 1-44,