January 21st, 2023

This Sunday, the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, starts with the Gospel text after the temptation of Jesus [Matthew 4:12-25], and for several weeks the Gospel text follows after that one, one after the other, until we get to the second-last Sunday in Epiphany. And the length of the Epiphany season is determined by the date of Easter.

We are also progressing through the Gospel according to Matthew, and we are almost that far. We have been slowing down to look at the historical presents in this account, since they are significantly different in each of the four gospel accounts. And this time we are about to look at all the historical presents in this temptation account.

Here is the full temptation text (Matthew 4:1-11), usually read on the First Sunday in Lent, in a somewhat-literal translation (and some of it was translated last week as well). To help with seeing the significant number of historical presents within such a large text, their English verb has been put in bold print below:

Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the spirit to be tempted by the devil. And, having fasted days forty and nights forty, afterward, he hungered. And, approaching, the tempting one, he said to him, “If son you are of the God, say in order that these the stones may become loaves.”

So he, answering, said, “It has been written, ‘Not on bread alone the man shall live, but on the contrary, on every word proceeding through the mouth of God.’”

Then he takes him, the devil, into the holy city, and he stood him upon the wing of the temple, and he says to him, “If son you are of the God, throw yourself down, for it has been written, ‘To the angels of him he will give command concerning you, and on hands they will carry you, so that you do not strike against a stone the foot of you.’”
He said to him, Jesus: “Again, it has been written, ‘Not you shall overtempt Lord the God of you.’”

Again, he takes him, the devil, into a mountain, high, exceedingly, and he shows to him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and he said to him, “These things to you, all I will give, if, falling, you will worship me.”

Then he says to him, Jesus: “Go, Satan, for it has been written, ‘Lord your God, you shall worship, and to him only you shall serve.’” Then he leaves him, the devil, and, behold, angels approached and ministered to him.

In Hebrew literature the middle item is often the most important, and this may be the reason that the temptations are in a different order in the Gospel according to Luke. But there is a significant difference in the text above which points to the importance of the last temptation.

Within these temptations, there is a pair of ‘takes’ verbs, and there is also a pair of ‘says’ verbs, but there is a difference in who says them. The first ‘says’ is the devil talking. The next ‘says’ is Jesus talking. And it is significant to note that, within the most reliable manuscripts, the only time the devil’s words are in the historical present is when they repeat what the word of God says, a bible verse from the Old Testament (specifically Psalm 91:11-12).

In some other manuscripts there are more historical presents. And it is not surprising to see that some other verbs are highlighted in that way. But the important ones point to the LORD who has this great throne with a living creature of a man. And it is not surprising to see that, during the temptations, the last historical present is Jesus talking.
The only other verb in the historical present within this section is the verb ‘to show’. This is the last temptation, and this is the devil doing the verb, and it also does fit with the emphasis with this gospel account of the living creature of the man. The devil shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world, and kingdoms come from kings. (There are even kingdoms that people think that they have within a democratic society.)
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There is One, though, who is truly THE KING. And to show his kingship, his son had a crown of thorns on his cross for us.