IT IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
The world’s concept of temptation is quite well understood. We should not be surprised to learn,  however, that he way God sees temptation, is very different. For God, temptation is not about worldly, fleshly things like sex, food, money, or power. It relates very specifically to his unique idea of sin as we see in this well-known Bible story about the temptations of Jesus.

Here we find the devil quoting the literal scripture to tempt Jesus. In each temptation the devil implies that Jesus would receive a reward if he would interpret scripture literally and apply it literally in his life. Jesus, of course, understood the temptations and counters the devil’s literal interpretations of scripture with the spiritual meaning. He never yields to the temptation to apply scripture literally.

Matthew 4:1-11: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. 3 And 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, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 

INTERPRETATION: Correct interpretation of this story hinges on understanding that the devil is not real but is symbolic of all religious leaders (i.e. False Prophets) who tempt people to become religious. The story, therefore, is a simple, symbolic representation of the process by which people are tempted by religious leaders to become religious. See Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs, Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists, Demons, devils, satans, evil spirits and antichrists: Part 1, Demons, devils, satans, evil spirits and antichrists: Part 2 and Demons, devils, satans, evil spirits and antichrists: Part 3.

In the first temptation, the devil (i.e. religious leader) does not quote a specific scripture but makes a general reference to Jesus as the Son of God with the suggestion that he, being like God, has the same creative ability that God has. Since there are no scriptural references to God creating natural bread from stone, the creation story is the basis for the implication that Jesus can create something out of nothing or at least transform a physical stone to physical bread. That would be a physical miracle which God does not do. God does only one kind of miracle.

Jesus of course would not try to perform any kind of miracle (physical or spiritual) on demand. First, he does not consider that equality with God is something he can grasped. He understood clearly that he was only a servant sent by God and anointed by God to speak for God. He knew that God uses his creative power for only one purpose: Change evil, impure hearts to clean, pure hearts. And, knowing that only God has that kind of power, he was not tempted to try to demonstrate that he also had that kind of power.

Furthermore, because Jesus knew that God does not alter his natural laws just to demonstrate that he has the power to do so. To do so would be against his own character and his laws which do not change. The only reason for doing that would be to make a name for himself as a miracle worker which he would never do.

Jesus also knows that God is very comfortable being invisible (i.e. spiritual) and has no need or desire to display his power through physical miracles that appeal to man’s desire to see physical signs and wonders. Jesus, therefore, has no need or desire to independently perform a miracle that would bring glory to himself. He only does what he sees the father doing. That means Jesus does not do what the father does not do, and he does not try to do what only his father can do (i.e. change the hearts of people). He therefore resists the temptation to do what the devil suggests,

Furthermore, Jesus knows that the devil’s oblique reference to creation as a physical event is a deceptive temptation to be religious. Jesus knows that the creation story is about spiritual re-creation — not physical creation.

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 9and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

In the third temptation, the devil demonstrates his authority over religious kingdoms. If he did not have that authority, he could not promise to give that authority to Jesus. The devil does not quote a particular scripture in this temptation, but he is challenging Jesus to violate the First Commandment regarding worship of other gods.

In all three temptations Jesus counters literal scripture with his paraphrased interpretations of Deuteronomy 6:13-18:

You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you; 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. 16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land which the LORD swore to give to your father.

In his responses to the devil and his quoting of Deuteronomy 6:13-18, Jesus makes two important points about interpreting scripture:

First, he does not agree with the devil’s (i.e. religious leader’s) literal interpretation. Second, he interprets the written word with the correct spiritual understanding. He does this by introducing subtleties and nuances that cannot be found in the literal words. These subtleties and nuances can be understood only when the law is written on the hearts of New Covenant disciples. They are spiritually discerned. They are possible only when there is a level of intimacy that allows knowing God to face to face (i.e. spirit to spirit, or heart to heart because God does not have a physical face). This is the essence of being created in God’s image.

In making these interpretations, Jesus shows by example the serious problems people face when they interpret the law literally. Basically, what happens is that they end up worshiping the Devil who has tempted them to adopt a literal interpretation of the written word of the Bible instead of listening to God’s spoken voice. In practical terms, they end up following religious laws based on the literal words of the Bible.

The story of Jesus’ temptation is a parable for what happens in religion. The devil is a type of religious leader who insists on interpreting the Bible literally. The devil is an example of a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil who leads people to sin. Jesus is an example of a New Covenant disciple who resists the temptation to sin because he listens to God’s spoken voice and is not deceived by false prophets who promise rewards to people who follow their teachings.