PENnED

A reflection on Matthew 4:1–11

There are moments in life when everything feels stripped down. When the noise fades, the routines fall away, and we’re left with ourselves— our desires, our fears, our habits, our hopes.

Scripture calls that place the wilderness.

It isn’t always a desert. Sometimes it’s a season of uncertainty, a time of waiting, a stretch of life where we feel exposed or unsettled.

But the wilderness is not only a place of testing. It is a place of becoming. A place where God gently reveals who we are— and who we are called to be.

And in Matthew’s story of Jesus in the wilderness, we don’t just learn about Jesus. We learn about ourselves. We see the parts of us that want to be self‑made, the parts that want to be impressive, the parts that want control. But we also see the possibility of becoming someone different— someone more grounded, more faithful, more whole.

So we enter the story with one quiet question in our hearts:

Who are you becoming.

Self‑Made or God‑Directed

Jesus begins hungry—forty days hungry. And the tempter comes with a suggestion that sounds almost harmless:

“You have the power. Fix this yourself.”

It’s the temptation to be self‑made. To rely on our own strength, our own cleverness, our own ability to make things happen.

And I recognize that voice. The part of me that wants to handle everything alone. The part that trusts my gifts more than the Giver. The part that believes I can build my own life if I just try hard enough.

But Jesus shows another way. He refuses to turn stones into bread because he refuses to turn himself into the source of his own life.

He chooses to live by the Word that comes from God.

And that’s the invitation for us: to become people who depend on God— not passively, not irresponsibly— but with gratitude for the gifts we have and humility about the One who sustains us.

Scripture Truth or Spectacular Stunts

Then the scene shifts. The devil takes Jesus to the temple and quotes Scripture— not to reveal God’s heart, but to twist it.

“Jump. Make God catch you. Prove who you are.”

It’s the temptation to make faith loud, to make obedience impressive, to turn spirituality into a performance.

And again—I see myself. The part that wants to look good doing God’s work. The part that wants to be admired for being faithful. The part that can slip into hypocrisy without even noticing.

But Jesus refuses the stunt. He refuses to make God a prop. He refuses to turn trust into a test.

He chooses the quiet path— the path where faith is lived, not displayed.

And that’s the invitation for us: to become people who quietly do God’s will, without spectacle, without applause, without pretending to be more than we are.

Servant of God or the Devil

And then the final temptation. No subtlety now. Just a blunt offer:

“All the kingdoms. All the glory. All the power. Just bow.”

It’s the temptation to trade integrity for influence, to trade loyalty for success, to trade our soul for something that looks like a shortcut.

And Jesus answers with clarity and strength: “Away with you. Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”

And again—I see myself. The part that wants control. The part that wants to shape the world on my terms. The part that wants to be important.

But Jesus shows us that the kingdom of God cannot be gained by compromise. It cannot be built on ego. It cannot be won by bowing to anything less than God.

And that’s the invitation for us: to become people who are loyal to God— to truth, to love, to kindness, to the things that make us whole— and to refuse the voices that ask us to sell our soul for anything less.

The wilderness is not just a place Jesus went. It is a place we all know. A place where our desires are exposed, where our ego is revealed, where our loyalties are tested.

But it is also the place where we can become new.

A person who depends on God. A person who does good quietly. A person who worships with integrity.

The wilderness asks us—not harshly, but honestly—

Who are you becoming.

Closing Prayer

Holy God, You meet us in the wilderness— in the quiet places, in the honest places, in the places where our hearts are laid bare.

Give us the courage to depend on You when we are tempted to rely only on ourselves. Give us the humility to do Your will quietly when we are tempted to perform for others. Give us the strength to stay loyal to You when we are tempted by easier paths and louder promises.

Shape us into people who reflect Your truth, Your kindness, Your love.

And as we walk through our own wilderness, help us hear Your gentle question— and help us answer it with our lives:

Who are you becoming.