Moses is the hidden presence behind Matthew’s Gospel. His name may not be often spoken but there are passages in the Gospel which can only be fully understood by a reference to him. During the Christmas season we read about the slaughter of this innocents. (Mt 2:13-18) Understanding that and indeed the entire story of the flight into Egypt clearly depends upon knowing the details of the birth of Moses. Less obvious, but just as important, are the references to Moses in the visit of the Magi. (Mt 2:1-12) As we read the Gospel of Matthew throughout the year, we will find the presence of Moses hidden in plain sight. Nowhere is this more important than in today’s reading of the testing of Jesus.
Let us look at the background. In the section before today’s, Jesus has emerged from the baptismal waters of the Jordan just as the Israelites had gone through the waters of the Red Sea and both find themselves in the desert. Jesus spends 40 days in the desert; the Israelites 40 years, but it is a time of testing for both. Matthew tells us that Jesus was led by the Spirit and the book of Exodus (Es 13:31) relates that the Jews were led by the “pillar of cloud and fire”. The great difference is that the Israelites were in the desert because of their sins. Although they had been the beneficiary of deliverance by God from the Egyptians, they rebelled – even fashioning a golden calf for worship. Therefore, they would not receive the promised reward of possession of the land that flowed with milk and honey until they made penance for their sins. They were given a mission from the LORD and for them to be His people, they would need to embrace it. The route from Egypt to Canaan would have taken no more than a few months to complete if distance were the only issue, but it would take 40 years because of their attitude. Continue reading “1st Sunday Lent – Fr. Smith Homily”
