Глава IV

Matthew 4:1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness. There is no doubt that he was raised by the Holy Spirit, for the words follow: “For temptation from the devil.” He is not led away against His will or carried away, not like a captive, but voluntarily, having the strength to resist it. Matthew 4:2–3. And having fasted for forty days and forty nights, he finally became hungry. And the tempter came to Him and said: If You are the Son of God. In this number forty 56, - ​​during which Moses fasted on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18) and Elijah - near Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8), the sacrament is shown to us. And the body [of the Savior] is given the opportunity to experience hunger, in order to thus give the devil a reason for temptation. Matthew 4:3. [end]: Command that these stones become bread. Something appropriate is said to those who are hungry. But you, devil, find yourself in a double contradiction. If by His power stones can become bread, then in vain you tempt Him Who is so powerful. And if He cannot do this, then in vain do you suspect the Son of God in Him [saying]: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Matthew 4:4. He answered and said to him, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The evidence is taken from the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 8:3). And the Lord answers this way because He meant to defeat the devil not by His power, but by His humility. At the same time, it is necessary 58 to note that if the Lord had not begun to fast, then the devil 59 would not have had the opportunity to be tempted, according to what is written: “When my son begins to serve before the Lord, stand in righteousness and in fear, and prepare your soul for the test” (Sir.2:1-2) 60. But the very answer of the Savior shows that the man was the One who was subjected to temptation: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” So, whoever does not feed on the word of God does not live. Matthew 4:5. [beginning]: Then the devil takes Him to the holy city. This taking, which is spoken of, is not a consequence of the Lord’s weakness, but a consequence of the arrogance of the enemy, who takes the Lord’s desire for a manifestation of 61 extreme need. From this same place it is clear what is written elsewhere: “They entered the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:53). Matthew 4:6. [continuation of 5th and 6th]: And he places Him on the wing of the church, and says to Him This is in order to test with vanity the One whom 62 he tested with hunger. In all temptations, the devil begins to find out whether He is the Son of God; but the Lord answers him so modestly that he remains in doubt. Throw yourself down; because it is written... The word of the devil, who [or: which] always wants everyone to fall, says: “Throw yourself down” - this word can convince [us], but cannot overthrow [us]. He will command His angels concerning You, and they will bear You up in their hands, lest You dash Your foot against a stone. We read this in the Ninetieth Psalm (Ps.90:11–12) 63. But it contains a prophecy not about Christ, but about a holy man in general. So, the devil misinterprets the Holy Scriptures. Undoubtedly, if he truly knew that this was written about the Savior, he would have to add what is further said in the same psalm and against him: “You will tread on the asp [small poisonous snake] and the basilisk [large snake]” [without harm]; “You will trample on the lion and the dragon” [great serpent]: The devil speaks to Him about the help of angels as if he were weak, but he is silent about his humiliation as a cunning man. Matthew 4:7. Jesus said to him: It is also written: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” He crushes the lying arrows of the devil with the true shields of Scripture. And it should be noted 64 that He took the necessary evidence only from Deuteronomy in order to show the sacraments of the New Law [secundae legis of the Second Law]. Matthew 4:8. [and the beginning of the 9th]: Again the devil takes Him to a very high mountain, and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and speaks to Him. The glory of the world, which will go away 65 with the world, is shown in grief and arrogance. The Lord descends to humility and to the plains to defeat the devil with humility. Then the devil hastens to lead Him to the mountains, so that others would be cast down through the same thing through which he himself was cast down, according to what the apostle says: “Lest he become proud and fall into condemnation with the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). Matthew 4:9. [end]: I will give all this to you if you fall down and worship me. The devil with pride and arrogance says this out of his boasting, and not because he has power throughout the whole world, or [or: so that] he can give all kingdoms, since we know that very many holy men have been appointed kings by God. He says: “If you fall down, you worship me.” Therefore, whoever intends to worship the devil falls first. h5 Matthew 4:10 . Then Jesus said to him: Go [or: “Follow Me”] “Satan. For it is written 66." Satan and the Apostle Peter are not condemned in the same sense [by the same sentence], as many believe. In fact, Peter is told: “Follow Me, Satan” (Mark 8:33) 67, that is, you who oppose My will, follow Me; and this one hears: “Go, Satan,” but it is not said to him, “Follow Me,” which gives us the opportunity to understand this way: Go into the eternal fire, which is prepared for you and your angels. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.” The devil, who says to the Savior: “If you fall, you will worship Me,” in response he hears from Him that he himself should worship Him more, his Lord and God. Matthew 4:11. Then the devil leaves Him, and behold, the Angels came and served Him. Temptation came before victory followed. Angels serve to certify the dignity of the Winner. Matthew 4:15–16. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, on the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the heathen, the people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in the land and shadow of death the light shone. These people heard the Lord preaching before others, so that where the Israelites experienced the first Assyrian captivity 68 the first gospel of the Redeemer was heard. Matthew 4:17–18. From that time Jesus began to preach and say: repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Passing near the Sea of ​​Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, throwing nets into the sea; for they were fishermen Matthew 4:19. [beginning]: And he says to them. After John [the Baptist] was brought [to trial], He Himself immediately begins to preach, i.e., after the termination of the law 69 itself, the Gospel begins. If the Savior preaches the same thing that John the Baptist preached earlier, then by this He shows that He is the Son of the same God, whose prophet he was. Matthew 4:19. [end], Matthew 4:20. Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets and followed Him. These were the first called to follow the Lord: fishermen and unlearned people are sent to preach, so that we do not think that the faith of believers comes not from the power of God, but from an eloquent and consistent presentation of the doctrine (eloquentia atque doctrina). Matthew 4:24. [end], Matthew 4:25. And the sleepwalkers, and the paralytic, and He healed them. And a great multitude followed him from Galilee, and from the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. Not real lunatics, but those who were considered lunatics due to the machinations of demons, who, taking advantage of the changes in the time of the moon, had a desire to dishonor creation in order to increase blasphemies against the Creator. In the translation: The Gospel of Matthew - ed. In the lane: Pentecost - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “My son! If you begin to serve the Lord God, then prepare your soul for temptation: guide your heart and be strong, and do not be embarrassed during your visit” - ed. In the lane: ninetieth – ed. In the lane: it should be noted - ed. At the lane: has to move away - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Then Jesus says to him: get away from Me, Satan; for it is written." According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Get behind Me, Satan” In the lane: for the Israelis there was the first captivity from the Assyrians - ed. In the lane: directly - ed. You might be interested in: