Matthew 4:1-11

Lent 1 – Year A

Matthew 4:1-11

Angels abhor a vacuum. The moment a tempter leaves, angels arrive to return twice that which was lost (80 days and nights and a burnishing of one's title to Belovedness).

That is less a story about temptation than a reprise of a Spirit of Job's G*D leading Jesus into harms way (read, into power).

Would you rather face a slow accretion of hunger and tired for a proverbial 40 days and equivalent number of nights (Jesus) or a series of events that quickly, seemingly simultaneously, come out of the blue (Job)?

Remember, your response will say something about the combination of your personality type, past experiences, and remaining hopes.

Play with the archetypes of temptation all you want, but do not ignore the set-up.