Matthew 4:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Whoever thou art then that after thy baptism sufferest grievous trials, be not troubled thereat; for this thou receivedst arms, to fight, not to sit idle. God does not hold all trial from us; first, that we may feel that we are become stronger; secondly, that we may not be puffed up by the greatness of the gifts we have received; thirdly, that the Devil may have experience that we have entirely renounced him; fourthly, that by it we may be made stronger; fifthly, that we may receive a sign of the treasure entrusted to us; for the Devil would not come upon us to tempt us, did he not see us advanced to greater honours.

Fasting exemplifies the potency of self-denial as a means to combat temptation, contrasting the allure of indulgence which leads to sin. He fasted for an extended period, akin to the days of Moses and Elijah. Had he fasted further, his human form might have appeared ethereal. By embracing his humanity and experiencing hunger, he opened the door for the adversary to confront him, thereby experiencing suffering and ultimately triumphing over the devil, granting us the victory.

Why did He offer Himself to temptation? That He might be our mediator in vanquishing temptation not by aid only, but by example.

Our Lord, having fortified the body He assumed for our salvation through fasting, faced the assaults of the devil. He taught us through His own fast how to prepare ourselves for challenges in times of temptation and made it possible for the enemy to approach Him during His hunger. In the fullness of His divinity, He would have remained inaccessible to the adversary had He not, through His hunger, embraced human frailty.

The aim was to overcome the adversary, enabling His presentation as one who is accused and condemned before all. Yet, through His teachings, the Lord showed us that in such trials, we should earnestly desire the word of God alone. Why is it that Scripture does not depict Moses and Elijah experiencing hunger, while it clearly states that the Lord felt hunger? I believe this is done for two reasons: first, to demonstrate through Scripture that those who claim He did not assume a physical body are mistaken; and second, to provide an opportunity for Satan to tempt Him, saying, “Say ... to these stones, that they may become bread” (cf. Matt. 4:3).

Led, not against His will, or as a prisoner, but as by a desire for the conflict.

What accounts for Moses' and Elijah's forty-day fasts; why did the Lord, as if affirming the work of His servants, choose to go without sustenance for the same span of time; and what significance does the number forty hold? Throughout the sacred Scriptures, the number forty often conveys hardship: the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, endured four hundred years of servitude in Egypt, and the present world, where we experience trials, is formed from four elements. Thus, Moses, as the initial lawgiver who conveyed the Law to the newly formed Israelite community, fasting for forty days symbolizes that his legislation required the rejection of sinful practices—since all sin is rooted in the bodily and sensual.

He commenced with fasting, demonstrating that it serves as a formidable shield for those engaged in battle against evil spirits. He adhered to the duration of fasting similar to that of Elijah and Moses, thereby ensuring that He remained within the bounds of human experience, which makes His humanity credible. Consequently, He ultimately cried out, affirming His human nature, as it is innate for people to express themselves vocally after a period of fasting. The mention of the nights may appear unnecessary; however, it seems to be included in reflection of Jewish fasting practices, as the Jews would partake in meals at night after fasting throughout the day. Yet, Mark and Luke do not reference the nights explicitly, as they are understood within the context.

He was an hungred, not during the forty days, but after them. Therefore when the Lord hungred, it was not that the effects of abstinence then first came upon Him, but that His humanity was left to its own strength. For the Devil was to be overcome, not by the God, but by the flesh. By this was figured, that after those forty days which He was to tarry on earth after His passion were accomplished, He should hunger for the salvation of man, at which time He carried back again to God His Father the expected gift, the humanity which He had taken on Him.

Some doubt what Spirit it was that led Jesus into the desert, for that it is said after, The Devil took him into the holy city. But true and without question agreeable to the context is the received opinion, that it was the Holy Spirit; that His own Spirit should lead Him thither where the evil spirit should find Him to try Him.

During the Lord's forty-day fasting period in the wilderness, He ultimately expressed His hunger, showing His human nature. Do not let your spirit be disheartened, O soul, if the adversary comes against you; instead, let him be repelled from your stance through prayer and fasting.

The Lord undertook a fast lasting forty days for two primary reasons: firstly, to provide us with a model for overcoming temptation through fasting, and secondly, to establish the significance of a forty-day period for our own fasting practices. He fasted in a manner that would neither outright demonstrate His divinity nor rob the devil of the opportunity to tempt Him, thus preserving the path to His ultimate victory. Throughout those forty days, the devil, witnessing the Lord’s self-denial, fell into despair; however, once he perceived that the Lord was hungry, a flicker of hope reignited within him. As he approached the One who seemed outwardly famished, he discovered that inwardly, the Lord was ever-satisfied.

Dear brothers, it is evident that the forty-day fast is not merely a human creation, but rather a divine decree, shrouded in mystery and surpassing our understanding. Fasting arises not from human necessity, but through heavenly instructions. This forty-day period embodies a fourfold doctrine of faith, as the concept of perfection is consistently represented in fours. The numbers forty and ten, which encapsulate the mysteries of both heaven and earth, serve as our means to articulate the sacred fast, since the entirety of divine revelation cannot be fully grasped through the dimensions of the earthly realm alone.

AFTER FASTING FOR FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, HE FINALLY BECAME HUNGRY. The significance of the number forty in the Scriptures often points to either the consequences of sin—such as the forty days of rainfall during the flood or the forty years of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness—or signifies a period of repentance, as seen in the fasts of Moses and the people of Nineveh. Unlike the first Adam who faltered in the Garden, the Lord Jesus, regarded as the second Adam, undertook the strictest fast and triumphed over temptation. Although He had no need for fasting, He chose to exemplify it for our instruction, highlighting it as a vital tool for overcoming the adversary. St.

Fasting involves the complete abstention from nourishment, as illustrated in Luke 4:2: I ate nothing these days. The practice of fasting for forty days and nights is documented in the Old Testament. For instance, the Prophet Elijah fasted for forty days (1 Kings 19:8), and Moses also observed a fast of the same duration (Exodus 34:28). Christ engaged in fasting not out of necessity, but for our instruction. He fasted for forty days; however, He refrained from continuing further to prevent the extraordinary nature of the miracle from casting doubt on the very reality of the Incarnation. If He had prolonged His fasting, it might have led many to question the truth of the Incarnation. Finally, after the forty days, He experienced hunger, which demonstrated His true humanity.