John Chrysostom, On Matthew

to cast down into gulfs and precipices, is of his band. For so their deceiver does everywhere. But Christ, even when these things were said, does not yet reveal Himself, but for the time speaks to him as a man. For to say, Man shall not live by bread alone, and, You shall not tempt the Lord your God, was not the act of one revealing Himself greatly, but of one showing Himself to be one of the many. But do not wonder, if while conversing with Christ he is often overthrown. For just as boxers, when they receive mortal blows, covered with much blood and becoming dizzy, are carried around; so he too, being dizzied by the first and second blow, utters what comes next at random, and proceeds to the third assault. And having taken Him up to a high mountain, he shows Him all the kingdoms, and says, All these things I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me. Then He says to him, Get behind me, Satan; for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. For since he was now sinning against the Father, saying that all His things were his own, and was striving to show himself as God, as creator of all, then He rebuked him; and not even then with severity, but simply, Get thee hence, Satan; which was a command rather than a rebuke. For as soon as He said to him, Get thee hence, He also made him flee; for he did not bring forward other temptations. 4. And how does Luke say, that he had ended every temptation? It seems to me that in mentioning the chief temptations, he has mentioned all, as the others are also contained in these. For the countless evils that hold us are these: to serve the belly, to do something for vainglory, to be subject to the madness for money. This, then, that foul one also perceiving, has placed last what is strongest of all, the desire for more; though from the beginning he was in travail to come to this, he kept it for the last, as being more powerful than the others. For this too is a law of his wrestling, to bring on last the things that seem more likely to trip one up. This he also did in the case of Job. Therefore, here also, beginning from the things that seem to be easier and weaker, he proceeds to the stronger. How then must one overcome this? Thus, as Christ taught, by taking refuge in God, and neither being humbled in hunger, believing in Him who is able to feed even by a word, nor in the good things we receive tempting the Giver, but being content with the glory that is from above, making no account of human glory, and everywhere despising what is superfluous beyond our need. For nothing so makes one fall under the devil's power as longing for more, and being in love with covetousness. And this one may see also from the things that happen now. For even now there are those who say, 'All these things we will give you, if you will fall down and worship;' being men by nature, but having become his instruments. Since even then he approached Him not by himself alone, but also through others. This Luke also indicating said, that he departed from Him for a season; showing that after this he approached Him through his own instruments. And, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him. For when the assault was taking place, He did not allow them to appear, lest He should thereby scare away the prey; but when He had convicted him in all things, and prepared him for flight, then they appear; so that you also may learn, that after your victories against that one, angels will receive you too, applauding you and attending you as a guard in all things. Thus, for instance, angels took and carried away Lazarus after the furnace of poverty and hunger and all distress. For as I said before, Christ now shows many things, which we also are to enjoy. Since then all these things were done for your sake, emulate and imitate His victory. And if any of that demon's ministers, and of those who mind his will, come to you, reproaching you and saying, If you are wonderful and great, remove the mountain; be not troubled, nor confounded; but with meekness answer and say what you heard your Master saying, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.

ῥιπτεῖν εἰς φάραγγας καὶ κρημνοὺς, τῆς ἐκείνου φάλαγγός ἐστιν. Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ παρ' αὐτοῖς πλάνος ποιεῖ πανταχοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τούτων εἰρημένων, οὐδέπω ἑαυτὸν ἐκκαλύπτει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄνθρωπος τέως αὐτῷ διαλέγεται. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τὸ, Οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, οὐ σφόδρα ἑαυτὸν ἐκκαλύπτοντος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἕνα τῶν πολλῶν δεικνύντος. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ, εἰ τῷ Χριστῷ διαλεγόμενος περιτρέπεται πολλάκις. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ πυκτεύοντες, ὅταν καιρίας δέξωνται πληγὰς, αἵματι περιῤῥεόμενοι πολλῷ καὶ σκοτούμενοι περιφέρονται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας καὶ δευτέρας πληγῆς σκοτωθεὶς, ἁπλῶς τὰ ἐπιόντα φθέγγεται· καὶ πρόεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν τρίτην προσβολήν. Καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν, δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας, καί φησι· Πάντα σοι ταῦτα δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοι. Τότε λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· γέγραπται γάρ· Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις, καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ λοιπὸν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα ἡμάρτανε, τὰ ἐκείνου πάντα αὐτοῦ λέγων εἶναι, καὶ θεὸν ἐσπούδαζεν ἑαυτὸν ἀποφῆναι, ὡς δημιουργὸν τοῦ παντὸς, τότε ἐπετίμησε καὶ οὐδὲ τότε μετὰ σφοδρότητος, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς· Ὕπαγε, Σατανᾶ· ὅπερ καὶ πρόσταγμα μᾶλλον ἦν, ἢ ἐπιτίμησις. Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ὕπαγε, καὶ δραπετεῦσαι αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν· οὔτε γὰρ ἑτέρους πειρασμοὺς προσήγαγε. δʹ. Καὶ πῶς ὁ Λουκᾶς φησιν, ὅτι πάντα συνετέλεσε πειρασμόν; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὰ κεφάλαια τῶν πειρασμῶν εἰπὼν, πάντα εἰρηκέναι, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐν τούτοις περιειλημμένων. Τὰ γὰρ μυρία συνέχοντα κακὰ, ταῦτά ἐστι· τὸ γαστρὶ δουλεύειν, τὸ πρὸς κενοδοξίαν τι ποιεῖν, τὸ μανίᾳ χρημάτων ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ μιαρὸς οὗτος συνιδὼν, τὸ πάντων ἰσχυρότερον ὕστερον τέθεικε, τὴν τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίαν· ἄνωθεν μὲν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὠδίνων ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦτο, ἔσχατον δὲ τοῦτο τηρῶν, ὡς τῶν ἄλλων δυνατώτερον ὄν. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος αὐτοῦ τῆς πάλης ὁ νόμος, τὰ δοκοῦντα μᾶλλον ὑποσκελίζειν, ταῦτα ἔσχατα προσάγειν. Ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐποίησε. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀπὸ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι εὐτελεστέρων καὶ ἀσθενεστέρων ἀρξάμενος, ἐπὶ τὸ ἰσχυρότερον πρόεισι. Πῶς οὖν τούτου περιγενέσθαι δεῖ; Οὕτως ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπαίδευσεν, ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν καταφεύγοντας, καὶ μήτε ἐν λιμῷ ταπεινοῦσθαι, πιστεύοντας τῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ διὰ λόγου τρέφειν, μήτε ἐν οἷς ἂν λαμβάνωμεν ἀγαθοῖς πειράζειν τὸν δεδωκότα, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖσθαι τῇ ἄνωθεν δόξῃ, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐδένα ποιουμένους λόγον, καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς χρείας τὸ περιττὸν ἀτιμάζειν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὑποπίπτειν τῷ διαβόλῳ ποιεῖ, ὡς τὸ τοῦ πλείονος ἐφίεσθαι, καὶ πλεονεξίας ἐρᾷν. Καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν νῦν γινομένων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες· Ταῦτά σοι πάντα δώσομεν, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς· ἄνθρωποι μὲν ὄντες τὴν φύσιν, ὄργανα δὲ ἐκείνου γενόμενοι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τότε οὐ δι' ἑαυτοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἑτέρων αὐτῷ προσῄει. Ὅπερ καὶ 57.213 ὁ Λουκᾶς δηλῶν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἕως καιροῦ ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· δηλῶν ὅτι μετὰ ταῦτα διὰ τῶν οἰκείων ὀργάνων αὐτῷ προσῄει. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον, καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. Ἡνίκα γὰρ τὰ τῆς προσβολῆς ἐγίνετο, οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτοὺς φαίνεσθαι, ὥστε μὴ ταύτῃ σοβῆσαι τὴν ἄγραν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν ἅπασιν ἤλεγξε, καὶ δραπετεῦσαι παρεσκεύασε, τότε φαίνονται ἐκεῖνοι· ἵνα καὶ σὺ μάθῃς, ὅτι καὶ σὲ μετὰ τὰς κατ' ἐκεῖνον νίκας ἄγγελοι δέξονται, κροτοῦντες καὶ δορυφοροῦντες ἐν ἅπασιν. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον μετὰ τὴν κάμινον τῆς πτωχείας καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τῆς στενοχωρίας ἁπάσης, ἄγγελοι λαβόντες ἀπῆλθον. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔφθην εἰπὼν πολλὰ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπιδείκνυται νῦν, ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολαύειν μέλλομεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα πάντα διὰ σὲ γέγονε, ζήλωσον καὶ μίμησαι τὴν νίκην. Κἂν προσέλθῃ σοί τις τῶν τοῦ δαίμονος ἐκείνου θεραπευτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου φρονούντων, ὀνειδίζων καὶ λέγων· Εἰ θαυμαστὸς εἶ καὶ μέγας, μετάστησον τὸ ὄρος· μὴ ταραχθῇς, μηδὲ θορυβηθῇς· ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἐπιεικείας ἀπόκριναι, καὶ εἰπὲ ὅπερ τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου ἤκουσας λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις Κύριον τὸν