Tackling Tradition 35 : Matthew 4 (Temptation Narrative)
It isn’t uncommon for someone to interpret the temptation narratives in a manner that paints Satan as a moral agent seeking to get Christ “off ministry.” I recently ran across an Instagram post in which the speaker said that was the case (which is true) but framed the temptation as an attempt to get Christ to do things that would not be congruent with the nature of His ministry. There is certainly truth to that, but there!: a bit more to it. Remember — these 3 temptations function like headers f or a topical outline of the Gospels in which they appear. In addition, in Matthew, the temptation narrative introduces the Sermon On the Mount. In addition, if the Sermon On the Mount is analogous to Moses & Sinai, these 3 incidents are analogous to Abraham journeying his way through from Ur to Canaan & to his sojournings in Canaan. Abraham, as the 3rd transitional prophet, holds the offices of Pr...