The Ancient Witnesses

190 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

to be tempted by the devil. 40 According to the Incomplete Commentary , this leading should not be understood as the command of a superior authority, as if the Holy Spirit ruled over Jesus. Rather,” Mentor read, “When a military advisor informs a king that an enemy has entered his realm, and advises him to draw him out for battle lest the kingdom perish, such a king will be guided by the advisor though he is in no way inferior to him. “Moreover,” Mentor continued, “the devil lures people in order to tempt them, but people do not pursue the devil in order to be tempted. Yet, the devil could not lure Jesus, so Jesus came out against him.” 41 “You know what’s comin’ next don’t you?” asked Preacher, “the temptations of Jesus!” We had been reading alongside Mentor for a long time. Now he called on Origen, and as the elder witness made his way to the lectern, Mentor invited us to be seated as he read from the Bible. After reading the account of the temptations of Jesus, first in Matthew’s Gospel and then in Luke’s, 42 Origen recited in his distinctive voice the verse that describes the first temptation of Jesus. “ If you are the Son of God, say to this stone that it should become bread. ’ What sort of temptation is that?” asked Origen, who spoke as if addressing the entire Athenaeum and not just those of us seated in the Crux.

40 Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1.

41 Opus Imperfectum , Fifth Homily (PG 56, 661); Kellerman and Oden, Incomplete Commentary on Matthew , vol. 1, 61.

42 Matt. 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13.