Sunday 14 February 2016
- Bible Book:
- Luke
“Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.” (vv. 12-13)
Psalm: Psalm 91
Background
Here, as the public ministry of Jesus is about tostart, we see him facing the implications of what has been saidabout him at his Baptism: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you Iam well pleased" (Luke 3:22).
He has been led from his Baptism in the power ofthe Holy Spirit and into the wilderness for a 40-day retreat - amirror of the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in thewilderness with God providing for them.
We read later in Scripture that Jesus was "one whoin every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin" (
- Sort yourself out some food.
- Grab yourself some power.
- Check that God is still watching your back.
The devil, trying to undermine Jesus' identity,comes with a repeated phrase: "If you are the Son of God …" (vv. 3,9).
The challenge is there: prove yourself; dosomething remarkable; seize the moment.
Jesus has answers for each of the challenges - andthose answers come from God's word to confound the tempter and fromthe Son's confidence in his relationship with the Father.Eventually the devil leaves Jesus on the edge of the wilderness,and the edge of his new ministry, "until an opportune time".
Luke's Gospel leaves us with the hanging threatthat something more is to follow and his choice of Jerusalem as thelocation of the final temptation seems to point us to a moment inthe future. Jesus is determined to be obedient, confident that Godthe Father knows. We know, of course, that there is unfinishedbusiness.
To Ponder
- How easy is it to make space to be alone with God in ourcrowded schedules? What may help?
- When has finding a quiet space helped you face temptation?