Lent 1: Soul Food
Sunday 9 March 2025
All the things that nourish us
Bible readings
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble;
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them and show them my salvation.
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”
Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’
and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
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.
Songs and hymns
- Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (StF 568)
- As the glory of creation and the thrill of human love (StF 725)
- Christ our Redeemer knew temptation’s hour (StF 235)
- Jesus tempted in the desert (StF 237)
- Now thank we all our God (StF 81)
- The earth is the Lord’s (Mission Praise 642 / Songs of Fellowship 528)
- Wake, O my soul, to earth and sea and sky (website only)
Opening liturgy
Give us this day our daily bread to feed our soul.
We don’t need distractions of a glitzy package,
a brown paper bag does just fine.
Give us this day our daily bread to feed our soul.
To nourish our minds and warm our hearts,
to enrich our faith, our belief, our life…
Give us this day our daily bread to feed our soul.
Let us never forget you are our God,
the giver of love and joy and hope.
O Lord our God, on this Lenten journey,
feed our souls this day we pray. Amen.
Object
Brown paper food bag
Background notes
led by the Spirit in the wilderness
The Gospel readings for Lent in the lectionary start with one of the accounts of Jesus in the wilderness. These stories echo the time when the young nation of Israel wandered in the desert, with Jesus reliving and, in some way, redeeming that experience.(1)
The wilderness was often viewed as a place inhabited by wild animals and demons.(2) Since the Holy Spirit led Jesus there, a spiritual confrontation seems inevitable – a theme that continues throughout Luke-Acts.(3)
forty days
The number forty links Jesus’ time in the wilderness to the Israelites’ journey, each day for Jesus symbolising a year for Israel (see Deuteronomy 8:2).
‘One does not live by bread alone.’
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 here, but he omits the next part: “...but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”, which Matthew includes.(4) This resource will explore what, beyond literal food, sustains us in life, taking Luke’s omission as a prompt.
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’
Jesus’ second response to the Devil quotes Deuteronomy 6:13, connecting to the Exodus story. In the preceding verse, Moses reminds Israel not to forget that God freed them from slavery in Egypt.(5)
‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
In his final response, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, referring to the time when Israel tested God at Massah and Meribah, where water flowed from a stone (Exodus 17:1-7). In this wilderness scene, Jesus reenacts Israel’s temptations, but he overcomes where his ancestors failed.(6)
1 C. F. Evans, Saint Luke (1990) SCM, London, p. 256.
2 Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, The Gospel According to Luke (1981) Doubleday, New York, p. 514.
3 Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (1997) Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, p. 192.
4 Fitzmeyer, p. 515.
5 Evans, p. 259.
6 Fitzmeyer pp. 511-512.
Questions for discussion
Here are some discussion questions that could help facilitate a deeper exploration of the themes surrounding Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
- “One does not live by bread alone” Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 here, though Luke’s account leaves out “...but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” What are some ways God sustains us beyond our physical needs?
- The Wilderness as a metaphor Let’s explore how the wilderness embodies both struggle and preparation in our spiritual journeys. Have you ever gone through a ‘wilderness’ moment in your life? What valuable lessons did you learn from it?
- Jesus as the true Israel In each temptation, Jesus chose obedience over what Israel struggled with in the exodus. How does Jesus’ obedience in the wilderness help us understand his role as a redeemer and a new representative for humanity?
Prayer ideas
Hold up a selection of fruit and vegetables as a prompt to prayer:
- A bunch of carrots or other root vegetables Point out that the growth happened underground, out of human sight. Pray for the work of God going on unseen in the lives of people in the community.
- A head of broccoli or cauliflower Point out the intricate detail of the florets, each one a small scale version of the whole head. Pray for the church as a global whole, for the various branches and denominations and the faith community gathered here as one small flower.
- A fruit with obvious seeds, like an apple Point out the way that the fruit is designed to spread the DNA of the plant far and wide. Pray for the spreading of the good news, that we might be faithful bearers of the gospel.
Make sure to tell people that this food will be eaten, as we do not want to be wasteful, especially when many people are struggling to afford food.
Pray for justice for people experiencing poverty, that they may be able to afford decent, healthy food that brings them joy, and for the work of charities who are providing affordable food for people who need help at the moment.
The good news to get across
We all need many kinds of nourishment beyond just food – things that sustain our hearts, minds and spirits. Lent offers an invitation to explore these deeper sources of nourishment and reflect on what truly feeds us.
Ways people can respond
Provide each person with a small piece of paper and write ‘Shopping list’ at the top. Ask them to list what they believe they need to stay well nourished at the moment, including food, friends, shelter and other essentials.
Hands-on activity
Make a junk journal binder to make notes in through Lent. There are downloadable pages to print out at methodist.org.uk/SoulFood
Prayer of blessing
May the God who faced the wilderness feed your soul today. Amen