This is the first Sunday of Lent and the Gospel is according to Luke (4:1-13). Please remember that Luke was a disciple of Paul who wrote to the Corinthians about the Lord's answer to his prayers as follows:

          "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." (2Cor 12:9)

          We have no doubt that this was what Luke had in mind when he wrote this Gospel.

          Jesus was just baptized and was full of the Holy Spirit who then led Him into the desert, away from the comforts of a home with no food to eat for forty days. Imagine Jesus in this dry, desolate place -- hot during the day and cold at night. Jesus must have been very weak towards the end, but for sure, He was in constant prayer with His loving Father who was encouraging Him with the same words He would later teach Paul:

          "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak."

          Jesus knew that the Devil would try to draw His disciples from Him through the weaknesses of man so He allowed the Devil to tempt Him:

1. "If you are the son of God tell this stone to turn into bread."
   Stones are everywhere. A hungry man would desire to turn stone into bread and Jesus could. But that would be getting something from nothing, exploiting a power without contributing anything. It is a desire to return to Eden. It is the serpent again tempting from the forbidden tree. The Holy Spirit spoke to Jesus through the Scriptures, which He quoted to the Devil. (Read Luke 21:12-19, Matthew 10:19-20 on the teachings of Jesus to His disciples on this.)
2. "I can give you power over all the nations and their wealth will be yours ..."
   The desire for power and wealth had compromised and is still compromising many persons. It is easy to think that happiness lies in possessing power and wealth. The Devil knows this human weakness. But for Jesus, true happiness rests in being with the Father and He is with Him always (John 15:11). Jesus would later teach His disciples, "I am in the Father and the Father is in me." (John 14:11)
3. "If you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here ..."
   Jesus does not want the people to know that He is the Christ. The people had to be prepared to accept the Messiah. Jesus is a humble and gentle person who has no liking for "grandstanding" (cf. Matthew 11:29). He even performed miracles away from the crowd.

Prayer and Reflection ~

          During this Lenten Season, let us be aware of our weaknesses that the devil continues to exploit to draw us away from God.

• What are my own weaknesses?


• How have I succumbed to the above temptations of the Devil?


• What is it that separates me from the love of Christ?

Joe & Charito

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