Homily XIII.
Matt. IV. 1.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the
wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.”
When? After the descent
of the Spirit, after the voice that was borne from above, and said, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And what was marvellous, it was of the Holy Spirit; for this, he here saith, led Him up. For since with a view to our instruction He both did and underwent all things; He endures also to be led up thither, and to wrestle against the devil: in order that each of those who are baptized, if after his baptism he have to endure greater temptations may not be troubled as if the result were unexpected, but may continue to endure all nobly, as though it were happening in the natural course of things.
Yea, for therefore thou didst take up arms, not to be
idle, but to fight. For this cause neither doth God hinder the
temptations as they come on, first to teach thee that thou art become
much stronger; next, that thou mayest continue modest neither be
exalted even by the greatness of thy gifts, the temptations having
power to repress thee; moreover, in order that that wicked demon, who
is for a while doubtful about thy desertion of him, by the touchstone
of temptations may be well assured that thou hast utterly forsaken and
fallen from him; fourthly, that thou mayest in this way be made
stronger, and better tempered than any steel; fifthly, that thou mayest
obtain a clear demonstration of the treasures entrusted to thee.
For the devil would not have assailed thee, unless he
had seen thee brought to greater honor. Hence, for example, from the
beginning, he attacked Adam, because he saw him in the enjoyment of
great dignity. For this reason he arrayed himself against Job, because
he saw him crowned and proclaimed by the God of all.
How then saith He, “Pray that ye enter not into
temptation.” For this cause he doth not show thee Jesus simply going up, but
“led up” according to the principle of the Economy;signifying obscurely by this, that we ought not of ourselves to leap upon it, but being dragged thereto, to stand manfully.
And see whither the Spirit led Him up, when He had taken
Him; not into a city and forum, but into a wilderness. That is, He
being minded to attract the devil, gives him a handle not only by His
hunger, but also by the place. For then most especially doth the devil
assail, when he sees men left alone, and by themselves. Thus did he
also set upon the woman in the beginning, having caught her alone, and
found her apart from her husband. Just as when he sees us with others
and banded together, he is not equally confident, and makes no attack. Wherefore we have the greatest need on this very account to be flocking together continually, that we may not be open to the devil’s attacks.
2. Having then found Him in the wilderness, and in a
pathless wilderness (for that the wilderness was such, Mark hath
declared, saying, that He “was with the wild beasts”), behold with how much craft he draws near, and wickedness; and for what sort of opportunity he watches. For not in his fast, but in his hunger he approaches Him; to instruct thee how great a good fasting is, and how it is a most powerful shield against the devil, and that after the font,men should give themselves up, not to luxury and drunkenness, and a full table, but to fasting. For, for this cause even He fasted, not as needing it Himself, but to instruct us. Thus, since our sins before the fontwere brought in by serving the belly: much as if any one who had made a sick man whole were to forbid his doing those things, from which the distemper arose; so we see here likewise that He Himself after the font brought in fasting. For indeed both Adam by the incontinence of the belly was cast out of paradise; and the flood in Noah’s time, this produced; and this brought down the thunders on Sodom. For although there was also a charge of whoredom, nevertheless from this grew the root of each of those punishments; which Ezekiel also signified when he said, “But this was the iniquity of Sodom, that she waxed wanton in pride and in fullness of bread, and in abundance of luxury.” Thus the Jews also per
petrated the
greatest wickedness, being driven upon transgression by their
drunkenness and delicacy.