Von der Versuchung

Theological Bridges Conference, Limuru

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.² He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished.³ The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”⁴

But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,⁶saying 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 will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

⁷ Jesus said to him,

“Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory,⁹ and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Prayer of Illumination

Blessed are you, Almighty God.
In the beginning, your Spirit breathed life into the creation,
and you continue to renew the face of the earth.
Your Spirit breathed life into the Scriptures,
and we pray you will continue to speak your Word to us.
Through Christ, the Word made flesh.

Sermon

Dear siblings in Christ,
“And lead us not into temptation,” we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Immediately after his baptism with water and the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the same Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.

This apparent tension raises deep questions of faith: as human beings, we dread temptation because we know our weakness. For the Holy Spirit, wrestling with temptations is an almost necessary step toward deliverance from evil, for which we pray in the same petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

John Calvin, who was the pastor of a refugee congregation that had experienced fierce persecution, distinguishes temptations from tests. In a fallen world, tests of the believers’ faith come from the left and right: from the left, we are challenged by poverty, disgrace, contempt, and desperation; and from the right, we have to come to terms with fortune, power, and honour.

These situations are the gateways for the devil. He tries to turn these tests into temptations. When this occurs, the experience of poverty will make us bitter, and the possibility of grabbing power will intoxicate us. In both instances, we lose our ability to trust God and our neighbours. This disconnection, for Calvin, is the real temptation (Institutes, III.20.46).

In the story, the wrestling with temptations occurs in unsafe places: the wilderness, the temple pinnacle, and a high mountain—spaces that invite extreme, even dangerous, behavior. Let us examine the three locations and their dangers:

1. The Wilderness
   The Spirit leads Jesus into a situation recalling Israel’s 40-year desert journey. The scene is bleak: Jesus is famished and at his limit. In this situation, temptation addresses him from the “left”. Most people would have succumbed to any voice offering food. Jesus declines to turn stones into bread. Instead of instant sustenance, he chooses perseverance. By framing the situation as a testing moment rather than yielding to temptation, he neutralizes the devil’s enticements.

From a postcolonial lens, wildernesses have always been contested spaces. Property not clearly demarcated and defended becomes a temptation for domination. Colonial powers treated much of Africa as terra nullius, justifying conquest by claiming it would “turn deserts into gardens.” Jesus’ endurance draws attention instead to indigenous cultures and religions, highlighting shared resources and stewardship of creation.

2. The Pinnacle of the Temple
   This temptation exemplifies religion’s misuse. It aligns with Calvin’s temptation from the “right”: the arrogance of those intoxicated by power who believe themselves protected from all danger. They will always find a biblical verse to justify themselves.

Jesus rebukes this temptation by distinguishing testing from self-aggrandizing. Reading a dangerous challenge as a chance to demonstrate power or as a test of perseverance makes all the difference. A true relationship to God and neighbours requires enduring difficulty while remaining faithful and just.

3. The High Mountain
   This final scene is explicitly political. From above, one can direct humans and animals like pieces on a game board. Such power intoxicates and severs relational accountability. Commitments to compassion, empathy, and mutuality vanish from the command post on the mountain. Jesus resists this temptation by turning power into service: “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

The temptation story links Jesus’ baptism to his Galilean ministry. The anointing with the Holy Spirit had to be qualified and distinguished from any trace of self-aggrandisement. Tested by dangers from left and the right, Jesus remained faithful to God and neighbours. This unbreakable commitment characterizes his ministry in Galilee, where he brought good news to the poor, freed captives, restored sight to the blind, and proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:16–19).

Today, we read this story during the Theological Bridges Conference, which connects the Nicene Creed to decolonial theology. Our reading of the text demonstrates the connection between the two:

• The Spirit leads Jesus into spaces that could be read as either temptations or tests. The devil entices him to break his relationship with God and with his neighbours, while Jesus trusts the Spirit and sees these dangers as tests that call for perseverance and faithful witness. This choice reflects the Nicene faith: God’s being and God’s doing are inseparable. God is defined not by absolute power but by faithfulness that does not abandon the works of God’s hands, even at the cost of suffering or death. The Spirit leads Jesus and his disciples to live in this costly with-ness.

• This divine commitment to with-ness distinguishes decolonial theology. The three places in our story challenge significant features of colonialism: declaring lands terra nullius, promising to transform deserts into gardens, imposing civilizing missions that disregarded local laws, and issuing commands from a position disconnected from their impact—allowing distant rulers to act with a clear conscience while people thousands of miles away suffered.

The story’s constructive contribution to decolonial theology is the radical commitment to with-ness. Theology originates in relationships with God and God’s people, not for them. It avoids the bird’s-eye perspective, beginning instead with God’s incarnation into our messy world. Theology tests the spirits and discerns the Holy Spirit in places where people persevere in faithful witness.

The story concludes with angels attending Jesus after the devil’s defeat. This festive moment is the beginning of a new creation, where people feast and sing: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Hanns Lessing