Lent — Forty Days in the Wilderness · Day 1
Matthew 4:1-11 — a devotion
Matthew 4
- 1그 때에 예수께서 성령에게 이끌리어 마귀에게 시험을 받으러 광야로 가사Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
- 2사십 일을 밤낮으로 금식하신 후에 주리신지라And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
- 3시험하는 자가 예수께 나아가서 가로되 네가 만일 하나님의 아들이어든 명하여 이 돌들이 떡덩이가 되게 하라And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
- 4예수께서 대답하여 가라사대 기록되었으되 사람이 떡으로만 살 것이 아니요 하나님의 입으로 나오는 모든 말씀으로 살 것이라 하였느니라 하시니But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’”
- 5이에 마귀가 예수를 거룩한 성으로 데려다가 성전 꼭대기에 세우고Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
- 6가로되 네가 만일 하나님의 아들이어든 뛰어내리라 기록하였으되 저가 너를 위하여 그 사자들을 명하시리니 저희가 손으로 너를 받들어 발이 돌에 부딪히지 않게 하리로다 하였느니라And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
- 7예수께서 이르시되 또 기록되었으되 주 너의 하나님을 시험치 말라 하였느니라 하신대Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
- 8마귀가 또 그를 데리고 지극히 높은 산으로 가서 천하 만국과 그 영광을 보여Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
- 9가로되 만일 내게 엎드려 경배하면 이 모든 것을 네게 주리라And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
- 10이에 예수께서 말씀하시되 사단아 물러가라 기록되었으되 주 너의 하나님께 경배하고 다만 그를 섬기라 하였느니라Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
- 11이에 마귀는 예수를 떠나고 천사들이 나아와서 수종드니라Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
KJV and World English Bible — Public Domain · 개역한글 ⓒ Korean Bible Society
Background
Matthew wrote for Jewish readers, aiming to prove that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. This account of the wilderness temptation is placed right after Jesus' baptism — after God declared at the baptism, "This is my beloved Son," that very sonship is immediately put to the test. The Judean wilderness of that day was a desolate region east of Jerusalem, an environment of extreme harshness. The three passages Jesus quoted all come from Deuteronomy, carrying the meaning of reversing Israel's failure in the wilderness. Within Matthew's Gospel as a whole, this scene is the starting point of Jesus' public ministry; after overcoming the temptation, He goes on to begin His ministry in earnest in Galilee.
Reflection questions: 1. In which area are you most often shaken by temptation, and is there a word of Scripture you can hold onto in that moment? 2. Just as Jesus chose the word over physical hunger, what choices are you making when faced with urgent needs? 3. What is one thing you would like to lay down during this season of Lent?
Today's reflection
This passage captures the scene where Jesus, right after His baptism, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil. The three temptations concerned, respectively, physical appetite (turning stones into bread), religious spectacle (throwing Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple), and worldly power (being given the kingdoms of the world). Each time, Jesus quoted the words of Deuteronomy to overcome the temptation — and these were the very same tests at which Israel had failed during their forty years in the wilderness.
Theologically, this event shows that Jesus, as the new Israel, obeyed God completely. Unlike the first Adam, who failed in the garden, Jesus, the last Adam, triumphed in the far harsher wilderness.
Lent is a season for remembering these forty days in the wilderness, a time to train ourselves to lean on God's word when we too meet temptation in our lives. Just as Jesus responded to temptation with the word, we too can hold onto God's word in our difficult moments.
Are you being shaken by something right now? Jesus too was tempted, yet He stood firm in the word. We too can move forward one step at a time within His help.
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