The Temptation on the Mountain — Part 1

General core of the lecture

The lecture talks about the temptation of the Lord Christ on the mountain after the baptism, and shows why the Father allowed the Son to be tempted and what the spiritual purpose of these temptations is. The general message is that temptation is part of the journey of redemption and spiritual instruction: to show Christ’s self-emptying, to give an example in how to face and respond to temptations, and to prove that human nature can be blessed and victorious through Christ.

Main elements in the lecture

• Christ’s self-emptying: Christ did not use His divinity for the comfort of His humanity, but took the form of a servant and endured the temptations as part of His life and mission.
• Wisdom in permitting the temptation: The devil was jealous and seeks to prove that Christ is not the Son of God or to prevent the redemption, and God allowed the temptation to show the victory and teach people.
• The nature of temptations: Temptations are not only against the weak; the devil attacks the strong as well to try to demonstrate the power of evil to overthrow even those closest to God.
• The spiritual response method: Christ answered the temptations with God’s word: “Man shall not live by bread alone…”, that is, moving the discussion from the material to the spiritual and to the divine word.
• The pedagogical and spiritual aim: To teach believers that temptations are natural and should not depress them, and that they are an opportunity to learn reliance on God’s word and steadfastness.

The Coptic Orthodox faith dimension

From the perspective of our Coptic Orthodox faith, the lecture affirms that Christ is the “second Adam” who restores the divine image to humanity by His victory over temptations. The mountain temptation is an example of not diminishing human dignity when it is offered in obedience and love to God, and shows that redemption is completed through accepting pain and the cross without using divine power for personal aims or to avoid suffering.

Practical summary for the believer

• Do not be surprised by temptations in times of blessing: the devil envies the blessing and attacks at the time of divine manifestation.
• Use the word of God as a weapon: the Scriptures’ sayings are the method to answer.
• Enduring temptation gives testimony to a blessed human nature capable of victory, and gives us confidence that “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me”.

Temptation

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