February 22, 2026

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. ² He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. ³ The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴ But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’    and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, ⁹ and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,    and serve only him.’

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Sermon

Last Sunday we stood on the mountaintop with Jesus and heard God say “This is my son, the beloved in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. Today the reading starts immediately after Jesus come up from the baptism waters, the Spirit descends on him, and the Father affirms his identity with the same words.

Remember I said that Jesus’ baptism was political, a bold challenge to empire. This is the true son of God. This is the King of all kings. The kingdom of heaven upends empire.

Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of that political act. Jesus is presented with three scenarios. How he responds speaks volumes about the values and vision of the kingdom of heaven.

It’s easy to read this passage and say, “Jesus didn’t give into temptation, so he enables us to stand up to our temptations.” Or “Jesus answered the Adversary with scripture, so when we are tempted, we should follow his example and go to scripture for strength to face our temptations.”

That’s fine for individual sin. It’s too easy to look at sin as just the times we miss the mark, go astray, turn away from God. This ignores capital S sin, the systemic sin of the world.

Each of the tests presented to Jesus addressed systemic sin. The systemic sin of resource hoarding, the systemic sin of restricted security and safety, the systemic sin of accumulation and abuse of power.

Our systems are set in such a way that resources are not distributed fairly. I mean, the system is set to limit mobility and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few. When Jesus answers the Adversary, “One does not live by bread alone, but by the word of God,” he’s not saying bread/resources aren’t important. He’s returning our attention to God’s word where over 2000 times the plight of the poor and vulnerable are lifted up and we are instructed to care for them.

Jesus’ choice not to turn stones into bread is a rebuke to systems who would prioritize self-interest or the interest of the empire over care for the people, extracting labor without fair recompense. Instead of bread for himself, he turns a few loaves and fishes into a meal for thousands.

Jesus’ choice not to test his own physical safety is a rebuke to systems that restrict access to medical care, housing and basic necessities, bodily autonomy. All the things that make people feel safe and secure. Instead of calling angels to catch him or save his from the cross, he heals the sick, he raises the dead, he affirms the dignity of individuals.

Finally, Jesus choice not to worship the Adversary, is a rebuke to systems which concentrate power in the hands of a few and stop at nothing to protect the powerful. We see the result of those systems in the terror inflicted on our brown and black siblings by our own government, in the protection of rich men who would use people as things, for their ease of life and for their depraved pleasure. Instead of the easy power of the empire, Jesus chooses the power of the cross to bring in the kingdom of heaven.

Prosperity. Protection. Power. These are all limited by empire to a select few. And the new lie the Adversary tells is that you too can achieve these, become one of the elite few, if you work hard enough, if you buy the right things, if you support the status quo and bow to empire.

Alone in the wilderness, facing these trials, Jesus says definitively that the kingdom of heaven is directly opposed to empire. To anything that corrupts relationship between humankind and God, humankind and creation, and between humans themselves.

In no uncertain terms, Jesus chooses the Kingdom of God. In doing so, he pits himself against the powers of the world, the powers of evil, the powers of empire.

It’s a defining moment for Jesus. The question is settled. God’s Son will continue to act in ways that please the Father. He will rule with kingdom of heaven values, taking no shortcuts or the easy way out.

The only question that remains in the gospel of Matthew is how his followers and the crowds will respond to Jesus’s teaching and example. Will they learn what it means to live in kingdom of heaven come near and align their hearts and lives with Jesus, who is aligned with God?

It’s the question that remains for us. Those little temptations add up, making it easier to justify overlooking the systemic sin. To minimize it in favor of protecting our own privilege. And that is most definitely not the road that Jesus walked.

How do we respond to Jesus?