Luke 4:1-13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”

9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

"Worship Your God and Serve Only Him"

The expected Messiah, according to Scripture and thought under Roman occupation, had to restore Israel's glory by fulfilling three aims:

Free and provide the Land to dwell in and produce bread, considered the primordial element of daily living;

Appear in the Temple to announce the arrival of His Kingdom; and

Restore the Kingdom to Israel by defeating the Romans and ending their occupation.

Jesus Christ is tempted in His Person (as Son of God and Son of Man) and in His Mission (of Salvation). Being the Almighty Son of God, is He going to use power to achieve these goals as the evil spirit would like Him to do?

Jesus Christ acts and reacts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. His almighty power is love and obedience to the Father. The evil spirit proves his knowledge of the Bible and abuses its verses to tempt Christ. But Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, remains determined to use His power for good that pleases God and is according to His will.

The Gospel invites us to return to the Bible to renew our encounter with Christ and walk with our Father God the same way Jesus did. When we emulate Jesus exclusively, we can triumph over the evil one and his temptations.

The greatest temptation lies in the abuse of Scriptures. The right reading and understanding of Scriptures ensures the victory of good over all the attempts of the evil spirit.

Every person is tempted to use their talents given by God for selfish purposes that are inconsistent with the common good that pleases our creator. Everyone is tempted according to the degree of responsibilities, social status, etc., given to them by using methods that displease God.

The Messiah was tempted to impose Himself by using power the evil spirit wanted Him to and to fulfil His mission by means other than the Cross. We are tempted to use our gifts, positions, responsibilities, and ranks of any kind to impose ourselves, indulge our interests and pleasures, and justify our deeds according to our selfish desires.

Lent is given to us to redress our orientations and re-examine our relationship with God, with our conscience, with our neighbor, and with the environment around us. Ask yourself---

Does the Word of God mean anything to me today?
Do I care for a daily meeting with Him?
Am I in full harmony with my conscience?
Am I accomplishing my responsibilities for the common good and the building up of the Church and its ministries?
How much do I show my faith through my acts, supporting justice, being a peacemaker, being God's hands to help the needy?

Lent is a time to enter God's dwelling within us and His altar in our heart, where and when we can enjoy sharing with Him and the quality of our living faith. Ask for His help because, without Him, we can't be better.

Wishing you a blessed time of praying, fasting and sharing.