98. Christ's Observance of the Law and Temptation in the Desert

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Christ’s Observance of the Law #

• Whether Christ lived according to the Old Testament law despite apparent violations
• The distinction between divine works, works of necessity, and works of worship—all excepted from Sabbath prohibitions
• How Christ’s circumcision signified his commitment to fulfilling the law
• Four reasons Christ willed to observe the law: to approve it, consummate it, subtract occasion of calamity from the Jews, and liberate men from servitude to it

Unclean Foods and Signification #

• Christ taught that what comes out of the mouth defiles, not what enters it
• Foods are unclean not by nature but by signification (σημασία) in the law
• Every creature of God is good by nature; the pig is unclean only by its signification as representing vice

The Temptation of Christ #

• Four reasons temptation was suitable: (1) to aid us against temptations, (2) to caution us that no one is secure from temptation, (3) to provide example of how to overcome temptation, (4) to give us hope in Christ’s mercy
• The relationship between Christ’s temptation and his crucifixion: he overcame the devil by justice, not by power
• The devil’s uncertainty about Christ’s nature despite knowing he was coming

The Desert as Place of Temptation #

• The desert as a suitable field of struggle (campus certaminis)
• Why the devil more readily attacks the solitary
• The mystical significance: Christ in the desert liberates Adam from exile
• Temptation as an example known through faith and hearing, not sight

Key Arguments #

On Sabbath Violations #

Objection: Christ violated the Sabbath by healing and commanding the paralytic to carry his bed; the law forbids all work on the Sabbath.

Resolution through three exceptions:

• Divine works are excepted: God’s work of conservation and governance continues on the Sabbath; Christ’s miracles are divine works, not human works. As Christ said, “My Father till now works, and I also work.”
• Works of necessity are excepted: The Sabbath law does not prohibit works necessary for bodily safety (cooking, drawing animals from ditches)
• Works of worship are excepted: Priestly functions in the temple on the Sabbath and circumcision do not violate the law because they pertain to worship of God; carrying the bed to praise the divine Father pertains to worship

On Unclean Foods #

Objection: Christ taught against the dietary laws of Leviticus, saying what enters the mouth does not defile; yet the law commanded avoidance of unclean animals.

Resolution: Christ taught that man is not rendered unclean in his soul from the use of foods according to their nature, but only according to their signification. The pig and lamb are not unclean by nature (every creature of God is good) but by signification in the law—the pig signifies certain vices, the lamb signifies virtue.

On Whether Christ Should Have Been Tempted #

Objection: The demons knew Christ’s power; temptation seeks experience of the unknown; therefore Christ should not have been tempted.

Resolution: The devil knew Christ was coming but was uncertain about the exact nature of his incarnation. Seeing human weakness (hunger) in Christ, the devil attempted temptation. The devil’s words “If you are the Son of God” show he did not know for certain but suspected it.

Objection: Christ came to dissolve the works of the devil; it is contradictory to both dissolve his works and suffer them.

Resolution: Christ overcame the devil by justice, not by power (Augustine). Christ voluntarily offered himself to temptation as he voluntarily offered himself to crucifixion. This allows justice to triumph over the devil’s injustice.

Objection: Christ was not tempted by flesh or world, only by the devil; therefore the objection about temptation is incomplete.

Resolution: Temptation from the enemy comes through exterior suggestion and can occur without sin. Temptation from the flesh necessarily involves pleasure and desire, entailing at least venial sin. Christ willed to be tempted by the enemy but not by the flesh.

On the Desert as Place of Temptation #

Objection: An example should be manifested to those being instructed; the desert is solitary and unsuitable.

Resolution: Christ’s temptation is an example through faith (ἐξ ἀκοῆς—ex auditu, from hearing), not through sight. Faith comes through hearing, not seeing. The desert is suitable because the devil more readily attacks the solitary; one solitary person is more vulnerable than two together (Ecclesiastes 4). Christ went to the desert as to a field of struggle to provoke the devil.

Additional mystical reasons: The desert mysteriously liberates Adam from exile (Adam was ejected into the desert from paradise). The desert shows that the devil envies those tending to greater things.

Important Definitions #

Conversatio (Latin: conversatio) #

• Not mere conversation but one’s way of living among men, one’s association and conduct with others
• Christ’s conversatio was suitable because, though his life was solitary in contemplation, his role as teacher and redeemer required him to converse with men

Signification (Latin: significatio) #

• Foods in the law are unclean not by nature but by what they signify
• Related to the sacramental and symbolic understanding of Old Testament precepts
• The pig signifies vice; the lamb signifies virtue

Divine Work (Latin: opus divinum) #

• Works that pertain to God’s conservation and governance of creation
• Distinguished from human work (opus humanum)
• Miracles performed by Christ are divine works and thus excepted from Sabbath prohibitions

Temptation (Latin: tentatio) #

• From the enemy: comes through exterior suggestion without necessarily involving sin
• From the flesh: comes through pleasure and desire, necessarily involving at least venial sin
• Serves multiple purposes: aid against temptations, caution, example, and hope

Examples & Illustrations #

On the Sabbath and Works of Necessity #

• A man’s ox or ass falling into a ditch on the Sabbath may be drawn out (leads it to water)
• Priests in the temple perform work on the Sabbath without sin (killing animals, circumcision)
• A doctor may operate and save you on Sunday (work of necessity for bodily safety)
• Teaching on Sunday is fitting because it is an opus divinum, disposing one for contemplation of truth, not manual work

On Signification and European Secularization #

• The pig as an unclean animal in its signification: references Sarkis speaking of a city with “a herd of pigs rushing off a cliff,” used to describe Europe’s spiritual condition
• Church attendance in France declined from 27% to 4% in recent years, showing the European soul as dead
• Beautiful cathedrals built over centuries now stand empty, witnessing to what has been lost
• A Jewish convert artist studying in Florence was moved by the beauty of religious art and architecture to begin the road to Catholicism

On Temptation and Solitude #

• The devil tempted the woman (Eve) without the man, finding her more susceptible when solitary
• A Trappist monk was told at his first confession: “You will be tempted to leave here someday”
• A Dominican noted his body is “like an old man you can’t quite trust, looking for an opportunity”
• The story of a priest (Father Sizzick) who thought he could take on the whole Communist Party himself but was physically and emotionally broken by them, later recovered by God’s grace

On Teaching and Imitation #

• Aristotle: man is the most imitative of all animals; we learn by imitation
• Plato wrote dialogues to provide imitation of philosophical conversation
• Examples of symmetrical structure: the Mass (A-B-C-B-A with Kyrie and Agnus as prayers, Gloria and Sanctus as praise, Credo as confession); Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream; Plato’s dialogues around the death of Socrates

Notable Quotes #

“Christ, however, wished or willed to live according to the law, first, that he might approve of the old law, secondly, that by observing it in himself, he might consummate and terminate it, showing that, in fact, it was ordered to himself.”

“The devil was not to be overcome by the power of God, but by justice.” (Augustine)

“My father, till now, works, and I also work.” (Christ, regarding divine work on the Sabbath)

“There are gods even in the kitchen.” (Heraclitus, quoted by Aristotle)

“Christ willed to be tempted, and he’s going to give now four reasons. First, that he might give aid to us against temptations.”

“What does such a beginning of his speech wish except that he knew the Son of God to be coming, but he did not think he came to the infirmity of the body being a little more relaxed, a little more glorious or something.” (Gregory, on the devil’s uncertainty)

“Faith is ex auditu [from hearing], not ex visu [from sight].” (Romans 10; references the importance of hearing over seeing)

“Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.” (John 20, spoken to Thomas)

Questions Addressed #

Question 40: Whether Christ Ought to Have Lived According to the Law #

Main Question: Did Christ properly observe the Old Testament law, or did he violate it?

Objections:

• Christ violated the Sabbath by healing and commanding work
• Christ taught against dietary laws
• Christ consented to disciples dissolving the law

Resolution: Christ observed all precepts of the law in three ways:

1. Divine works (miracles) are excepted from Sabbath prohibitions
2. Works of necessity for bodily safety are excepted
3. Works of worship are excepted

Christ willed to observe the law for four reasons: to approve it, consummate it, subtract occasion of calamity from the Jews, and liberate men from servitude to it.

Question 41: Whether It Was Suitable for Christ to Be Tempted #

Main Question: Was Christ’s temptation fitting, or does it contradict his divine knowledge and power?

Objections:

• The demons knew Christ’s power; temptation seeks experience of the unknown
• Christ came to dissolve the devil’s works, not suffer them
• Christ was not tempted by flesh or world, only the devil

Resolution: Christ willed to be tempted for four reasons:

1. Aid: To give aid to us against temptations (Gregory: he overcame our temptations by his temptations, as he overcame our death by his death)
2. Caution: To warn us that no one, no matter how holy, should think himself secure from temptation; after baptism especially, the devil’s temptations are abundant because victory over saints brings greater joy
3. Example: To instruct us how to overcome temptations; man learns by imitation (Aristotle)
4. Hope: To give us hope in his mercy; we have a high priest tempted in all things but without sin (Hebrews 4)

Question 41: Whether the Desert Was a Suitable Place for Temptation #

Objection: An example should be manifested to those instructed; the desert is solitary and unsuitable.

Resolution: Temptation is an example through faith (hearing), not sight. Blessed are those who have not seen and believed. The desert is suitable because the devil more readily attacks the solitary. Christ went to the desert as a field of struggle to provoke the devil. Mystically, the desert liberates Adam from exile and shows the devil’s envy toward those tending to greater things.