1 And Jesus, full of the Holy
Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty
days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in
those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
First Temptation
3 The devil said to him, “If you are
the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus
answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Second Temptation
5 And the devil took him up, and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said
to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it
has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then,
will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It
is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you
serve.’”
Third Temptation
9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and
set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the
Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He
will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ 11 and ‘On their
hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a
stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt
the Lord your God.’”
Devil Departed
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
EXPLANATION
1 And Jesus, full of the
Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for
forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing
in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit”
— This phrase, special to Luke, is used by him to designate a prophet
(Lk. 1: 15, 41, 67). He describes Jesus’ mission to Galilee in similar
terms (Lk. 4: 14) and Jesus applies Isaiah to himself, saying that the
Spirit of the Lord is upon him (Lk. 4: 18–21).
In this same verse 1 Luke will mention the “Holy Spirit” leading Jesus during his sojourn in the wilderness. Luke’s Gospel is sometimes called the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”.
“returned from the Jordan” —
Luke links the temptation with the baptism in the Jordan where the
Father called him his Son and where the Holy Spirit came down upon him
(Lk. 3: 21–22).
In this passage there are several
allusions to the Exodus. Here are five. The Israelites (i) crossed the
Red Sea into the (ii) wilderness for (iii) forty years — Jesus crossed
the waters of (i) baptism and went into the (ii) wilderness for (iii)
forty days. (iv) God was with the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day
and a pillar of fire by night; (iv) the Holy Spirit was with Jesus. The
Israelites were (v) tempted; Jesus was (v) tempted. Here the parallels
cease. The Israelites failed all their tests; Jesus was successful in
each of his.
“And was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness” — By his own choice Jesus went into the wilderness. Luke does not say that the “Holy Spirit” led Jesus into the wilderness but that while he was there he was “led by the Holy Spirit”. In other words, the “Holy Spirit”
accompanied Jesus in his wanderings in the wilderness and sustained
him. The Holy Spirit did not lead him into temptation. It was the devil
who was totally responsible for the temptations.
If Jesus went into the wilderness for
such a long time on his own free choice, he must have had a good reason.
At his baptism he had been commissioned by the Holy Spirit’s anointing
and the proclamation of his Father to undertake his mission as Messiah.
He went into this desert of great danger to show his absolute trust in
his Father and in the power of the Spirit in undertaking hardship and
suffering in a spirit of obedience to his mission that would continue
until his death on the cross. His ministry would not commence until he
returned to Galilee. This wilderness experience was his way of publicly
showing that he was accepting the ministry of John the Baptist, the
wilderness prophet and bringing it to its culmination in the New
Covenant.
“for forty days” — This is a
very common period of testing in the Bible: the flood lasted for forty
days (Gn. 7: 4, 17), Moses fasted for forty days on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 34:
28), Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Dt. 8: 2), the
twelve spies spent this time inspecting Canaan (Nm. 14: 34), Israel was
oppressed by the Philistines (Jdg. 13: 1), Elijah fasted for forty days
on his journey to Mt. Horeb (I Kgs. 19: 8), Nineveh had the opportunity
to repent for this period at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3: 4).
“the wilderness” — The
wilderness was known to be the abode of most ferocious wild beasts and
the devil (Lk. 8: 29; 11: 24–26). It is 35 by 15 miles in area and at
the Dead Sea was 1,200 feet high. It is extremely hot by day and
exceedingly cold by night.
For me, St. Ambrose has a very beautiful
thought. God created our first parents and placed them in the paradise
of the Garden of Eden. There the devil tempted and succeeded in
overpowering them. They were driven out of the garden. Now Jesus the
Christ, the Saviour–Messiah, enters the world and at the beginning of
his mission he goes into the wilderness, the absolute opposite of the
Garden of Eden, the abode of the devil who has such power over man the
sinner and there, by his presence, he challenges and overcomes him.
“tempted by the devil” — During
those forty days he was tempted by the devil but nothing like the final
assault in three episodes at the end of the forty days.
“And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry”
— Jesus fasted and at the end of the forty days he was hungry and weak.
The devil now felt that he could launch a blistering attack on him.
3 The devil said to him, “If
you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone.’”
“The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God’” — At his baptism, the Father declared from heaven to Jesus “You are my Son, the Beloved” (Lk. 3: 22). The final line in the genealogy that followed proclaimed that Jesus was descended from Adam who was “the son of God”
(Lk. 3: 38). The devil tempts Jesus to prove to himself that he has the
personal power to serve his needs. The devil says, ‘You are hungry. Do
something about it; after all you have the power and there is no harm in
executing it for such a worthy cause’.
“‘command this stone to become bread’”
— The devil tempts Jesus to satisfy his hunger, his material need. He
is encouraging him to provide food for himself in his need as God
provided food for the Israelites in the wilderness in their need during
the Exodus.
The devil refers to a single stone, implying that Jesus is not being asked to do anything too great.
This was the first great temptation the
Israelites underwent after crossing the Red Sea. They were hungry and
prepared to return to Egypt to satisfy their needs. God listened to
their complaints and fed them manna from heaven for forty years. They
placed their material needs before God’s will for them.
“And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone”’”
— Jesus replies by quoting the word of God (Deuteronomy 8: 3). He tells
the devil (and us) that it is the word of God that sustains on every
occasion.
This temptation may be summed up by
saying that this is the temptation to acquire possessions for oneself
when this seems the most opportune thing to do. Jesus’ reply tells the
devil that it is not for the individual to decide on his or her own
needs but to check on God’s will as expressed by God’s word. To trust
and obey God in one’s needs, not rely on oneself, is the all–important
attitude for each individual. Jesus had come on earth as the suffering,
servant Messiah–King to redeem mankind, not to use his power for himself
and his well–being. On the cross Jesus refused to use his power for his
own need (Lk. 23: 35, 37), to save himself. He did use his power for
others in their needs (Lk. 4: 35; 5: 27; 6: 10; 7: 14, 50; 8: 54; 18:
42).
5 And the devil took him up,
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and
said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory;
for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you,
then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered
him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only
shall you serve.’”
“And the devil took him up” — From the other Gospels we know that what the devil took him up was a high mountain.
“and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time”
— This last phrase indicates that it was a vision of all the world’s
kingdoms the devil showed Jesus rather than carrying him physically
around the world.
“and said to him, ‘To you I will
give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to
me, and I give it to whom I will’” — Jesus had not yet established
his Kingdom on earth. The devil is offering him a short–cut. In one
simple act his mission can be fully accomplished.
In Jesus’ final discourse to his apostles he declares “All authority in heaven and on earth (not just earth alone) has been given to me”. That is the fullness of authority and power. He has been given it from the only true and reliable source, his Father.
Has God delivered to the devil all
authority over and the glory of all kingdoms? We certainly cannot trust
any saying of “the father of lies”! Nevertheless John’s Gospel does
imply that the devil does have great power over the world. This is
limited and curtailed by the power and authority of God.
“If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.’” — This is a reminder of the Israelites setting up the molten golden calf for their worship (Ex. 32).
“And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” — Jesus rejected the devil’s offer of a political kingdom which would indicate that he was a political Messiah.
This temptation may be summed up by
saying that it is the temptation to power, including political power.
Jesus tells us that all power belongs to God. Power is not to be adored;
‘adoring’ power is to adore the devil.
9 And he took him to
Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is
written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ 11 and
‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against
a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt
the Lord your God.’”
“And he took him to Jerusalem” —
The three Synoptics record the temptations and Matthew and Luke list
three that Jesus underwent in the wilderness but they do not present
them in the same sequence. The reason for that is that each follows his
own plan or theology. Luke narrates his Gospel as a journey of Jesus to
Jerusalem where his Gospel terminates with the passion, death and
resurrection. He places the Jerusalem temptation last. The temptation in
the wilderness will be continued there. Jesus wins this battle but the
war will continue.
“and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him” — The pinnacle was one of the highest points of the temple.
The temple was a theme in Luke’s Gospel.
The birth of John the Baptist was announced in the temple (Lk. 1:
5–25). Jesus’ first journey after birth was to the temple where he was
recognised by Simeon and Anna (Lk. 222–38). Once he came of age, he went
to the temple where his knowledge and wisdom were admired (Lk. 2:
41–50). On his final journey to Jerusalem he cleansed the temple and
taught there (Lk. 19: 45 — 21: 38). At his death there is a reference to
the veil of the temple being torn right down the middle (Lk. 23: 45).
“‘If you are the Son of God’” —
This is the second time the devil has introduced a temptation with
these words (first temptation, verse 3). He hopes to sow doubt in Jesus’
mind about his sonship.
This third temptation is very closely
associated with the first. The Israelites first complaint was for food;
their second for water. They felt that they had a right to water from
God because they were his special people, his Chosen. They presumed on
his taking care of all their needs. See the similarity with the
presumption in the third temptation of Jesus.
Both begin with the words, “If you are the Son of God”.
Jesus had overcome the devil in the first by telling him that he must
not put the Lord to the test. The devil is quick to say that he will
quote from sacred scripture, the very word of God, where it states that
God will look after his own in a very special way.
“throw yourself down from here; for
it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot
against a stone.’” — The devil follows Jesus example and quotes
psalm 91. If Jesus wishes to follow the sacred scriptures, here now is
his opportunity, the devil tempts!
This temptation will be repeated on the cross when the leaders will jeer him and challenge Jesus to “save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One” (Lk. 23: 35). The soldiers will mock, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself” (Lk. 23: 37). One of the two thieves will abuse him, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well”. To the other he will promise salvation.
“And Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”’”
— For the third time Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy (6: 16). He tells
the devil that what the devil is trying to do is test God. God had made
the promise to protect. If Jesus jumped it would mean that he was
provoking God to fulfil his promise or show his promise to be false.
Jesus had full faith in God’s promise; he was not going to test God. He
was not going to exercise authority and power over God or manipulate
him; his only desire was to obey him and do his will as a faithful
servant. Jesus was utterly dependent on God and on doing his will, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk. 23: 46).
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
“And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”
— While the devil ended the temptations in the wilderness, these were
to continue until Jesus’ death on the cross. When he meets a devil, he
will be recognised and he will overcome the devil (Lk. 4: 41; 8: 29–33).
One of Luke’s intentions in his Gospel is to present Jesus as “the mightier one”,
as he was called by John the Baptist (Lk. 3: 16). He shows Jesus
overcoming the devil and evil spirits and saying that only one stronger
than the devil can overcome the devil (Lk. 11: 14–26). Jesus’ final
success was on the cross, “the appointed time” when he completed God’s will perfectly.
At the crucifixion, Jesus did not address the devil but he prayed to his Father in the garden, “Your will not mine be done” (Lk. 22: 42), for forgiveness for his executioners (Lk. 23: 34) and as he breathed forth his spirit, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk. 23: 46). Jesus makes it so clear that obedience to his Father is the perfect answer to temptation.
APPLICATION
Stational Churches
In Rome, during Lent, there are 45
churches referred to as “Stational churches”. These are churches
designated for special devotions on days in Lent. Part of the
celebrations include Solemn Mass offered by the Pope or his legate, with
other prayers and services included. The four Major Basilicas were
included, St. John Latern (The Church of our Saviour, the leading
Catholic Church in the world). It comprises the Basilica (Church), the
Pontifical Palace where the Popes lived, and the Baptistry. In the fifth
century the titles of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist
were added. This is why the title St. John Latern remained attached in
the popular mind,. The Papal altar contains the wooden altar on which
St. Peter is said to have celebrated Mass. This basilica is the mother
of all churches and is the only church which has the title of
Archbasilica. All of this adds to today’s feast.
The other basilicas, major and Minor
are: Mary Major, St. Peters, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the three
Minor Basilicas: Holy Cross in Jerusalem (very close to St. John
Latern), St Lawrence and the Twelve Apostles. On the day of the station,
the faithful gather in one church and in procession singing the Litany
of the Saints or psalms, go to the church where the Mass is to be
celebrated. There, in previous centuries, they would meet the Pope and
his clergy, coming in state from his Patriarchal Palace of the Lateran.
This was called “making the station.” There is not always a Papal Mass
in the stational church, but the stational procession and Mass have been
restored at Rome, especially in Lent when each day has its proper
Station and Mass.
There are 86 stations of the year (great
feasts and during Lent), and on Christmas, three, and on Easter, two
“stational Masses” are mentioned, bringing the number of these stations
to 89. Most of the stations are named after saints.
Temptations of Jesus
In this Gospel passage on the temptations of Jesus three are mentioned. We will reflect on each of the three now.
Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist
in the Jordan River and at that time he spent forty days in the
wilderness being tempted by the devil. He became very hungry as he had
eaten nothing. While the devil had been tempting him in the wilderness
for the forty days none of this was particularly intense. But now the
devil saw a wonderful opportunity to launch an especially severe
temptation on Jesus weak from lack of food. At his baptism the Father
had declared that Jesus was his Son. Now the devil slips in “If you are
the Son of God”. He tries to upset Jesus with a doubt before going
further with the temptation. He links Sonship with divine power. He
wants Jesus to doubt his Sonship and his power. But Jesus is still
alert. He resists with the defence: “Man does not live on bread alone”. God’s word is what really sustains us. Incidentally “bread”
represents much more than food; it stands for all material needs. The
word is used in slang in this sense of meaning money, e.g., Can you get
me some ‘bread’, I need some ‘bread’.
This temptation may be summed up by
saying that this is the temptation to acquire possessions for oneself
when this seems the most opportune thing to do. Jesus’ reply tells the
devil that it is not for the individual to decide on his or her own
needs but to check on God’s will as expressed by God’s word. To trust
and obey God in one’s needs, not rely on oneself, is the all–important
attitude for each individual. Jesus had come on earth as the suffering,
servant Messiah–King to redeem mankind, not to use his power for himself
and his well–being. On the cross Jesus refused to use his power for his
own need (Lk. 23: 35, 37), to save himself. He did use his power for
others in their needs (Lk. 4: 35; 5: 27; 6: 10; 7: 14, 50; 8: 54; 18:
42).
In the second temptation the devil
showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, declared that they were his
and that he would give them to Jesus, with their wealth and possessions
if he would bow down and worship the devil. Jesus did not allow himself
to fall for this temptation. He told the devil that his duty was to
worship only his Father and to serve him alone. He did not adore power
but the God of truth, love and mercy.
The third and last temptation, like the
first, is a temptation to make Jesus deny that he is the Son of God. The
devil brings Jesus to sit on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem.
He encourages him to work a spectacular miracle to prove that he is the
Son of God. He tells Jesus to throw himself off the pinnacle and have
his angels catch him and bring him down safely. When the people would
see this outstanding feat they would be overcome with awe and admiration
and know that Jesus must be the Son of God. But, once again, Jesus does
not give way to the devil. Jesus quotes Sacred Scripture, the book of
Deuteronomy once again, chapter 6-8, and instructs the devil not to test
God and have God do something to prove that he is God and working a
spectacular miracle just for the sake of being spectacular.
In our personal temptations it is
important to recall, first, that Jesus was baptised and at that time his
Father spoke from heaven and declared that Jesus was his Son. The basic
temptation was to have Jesus doubt that he was God’s Son. When tempted
we should recall that by baptism we became the children of God and the
devil does not wish us to dwell on that but that we become independent
of God.
Secondly recall also that Jesus was
tempted for forty days in the wilderness but three major temptations
were set aside by the devil until Jesus would be at his weakest. Those
three temptations were; to possess things, especially for comfort and
the easy life, to have power for oneself and to indulge in pleasure.
Finally, it is important in temptation
to keep baptism before your mind and heart. Temptation strengthens our
baptism commitment and identity as children of God and members of the
Body of Christ.
Commentary on 1st Sun of Lent (C), 6.03.2022
TEXT – Luke 04: 01–13 – Three Temptations
Wilderness
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
First Temptation
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Second Temptation
5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
Third Temptation
9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ 11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Devil Departed
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
EXPLANATION
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit” — This phrase, special to Luke, is used by him to designate a prophet (Lk. 1: 15, 41, 67). He describes Jesus’ mission to Galilee in similar terms (Lk. 4: 14) and Jesus applies Isaiah to himself, saying that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him (Lk. 4: 18–21).
In this same verse 1 Luke will mention the “Holy Spirit” leading Jesus during his sojourn in the wilderness. Luke’s Gospel is sometimes called the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”.
“returned from the Jordan” — Luke links the temptation with the baptism in the Jordan where the Father called him his Son and where the Holy Spirit came down upon him (Lk. 3: 21–22).
In this passage there are several allusions to the Exodus. Here are five. The Israelites (i) crossed the Red Sea into the (ii) wilderness for (iii) forty years — Jesus crossed the waters of (i) baptism and went into the (ii) wilderness for (iii) forty days. (iv) God was with the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; (iv) the Holy Spirit was with Jesus. The Israelites were (v) tempted; Jesus was (v) tempted. Here the parallels cease. The Israelites failed all their tests; Jesus was successful in each of his.
“And was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness” — By his own choice Jesus went into the wilderness. Luke does not say that the “Holy Spirit” led Jesus into the wilderness but that while he was there he was “led by the Holy Spirit”. In other words, the “Holy Spirit” accompanied Jesus in his wanderings in the wilderness and sustained him. The Holy Spirit did not lead him into temptation. It was the devil who was totally responsible for the temptations.
If Jesus went into the wilderness for such a long time on his own free choice, he must have had a good reason. At his baptism he had been commissioned by the Holy Spirit’s anointing and the proclamation of his Father to undertake his mission as Messiah. He went into this desert of great danger to show his absolute trust in his Father and in the power of the Spirit in undertaking hardship and suffering in a spirit of obedience to his mission that would continue until his death on the cross. His ministry would not commence until he returned to Galilee. This wilderness experience was his way of publicly showing that he was accepting the ministry of John the Baptist, the wilderness prophet and bringing it to its culmination in the New Covenant.
“for forty days” — This is a very common period of testing in the Bible: the flood lasted for forty days (Gn. 7: 4, 17), Moses fasted for forty days on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 34: 28), Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Dt. 8: 2), the twelve spies spent this time inspecting Canaan (Nm. 14: 34), Israel was oppressed by the Philistines (Jdg. 13: 1), Elijah fasted for forty days on his journey to Mt. Horeb (I Kgs. 19: 8), Nineveh had the opportunity to repent for this period at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3: 4).
“the wilderness” — The wilderness was known to be the abode of most ferocious wild beasts and the devil (Lk. 8: 29; 11: 24–26). It is 35 by 15 miles in area and at the Dead Sea was 1,200 feet high. It is extremely hot by day and exceedingly cold by night.
For me, St. Ambrose has a very beautiful thought. God created our first parents and placed them in the paradise of the Garden of Eden. There the devil tempted and succeeded in overpowering them. They were driven out of the garden. Now Jesus the Christ, the Saviour–Messiah, enters the world and at the beginning of his mission he goes into the wilderness, the absolute opposite of the Garden of Eden, the abode of the devil who has such power over man the sinner and there, by his presence, he challenges and overcomes him.
“tempted by the devil” — During those forty days he was tempted by the devil but nothing like the final assault in three episodes at the end of the forty days.
“And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry” — Jesus fasted and at the end of the forty days he was hungry and weak. The devil now felt that he could launch a blistering attack on him.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
“The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God’” — At his baptism, the Father declared from heaven to Jesus “You are my Son, the Beloved” (Lk. 3: 22). The final line in the genealogy that followed proclaimed that Jesus was descended from Adam who was “the son of God” (Lk. 3: 38). The devil tempts Jesus to prove to himself that he has the personal power to serve his needs. The devil says, ‘You are hungry. Do something about it; after all you have the power and there is no harm in executing it for such a worthy cause’.
“‘command this stone to become bread’” — The devil tempts Jesus to satisfy his hunger, his material need. He is encouraging him to provide food for himself in his need as God provided food for the Israelites in the wilderness in their need during the Exodus.
The devil refers to a single stone, implying that Jesus is not being asked to do anything too great.
This was the first great temptation the Israelites underwent after crossing the Red Sea. They were hungry and prepared to return to Egypt to satisfy their needs. God listened to their complaints and fed them manna from heaven for forty years. They placed their material needs before God’s will for them.
“And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone”’” — Jesus replies by quoting the word of God (Deuteronomy 8: 3). He tells the devil (and us) that it is the word of God that sustains on every occasion.
This temptation may be summed up by saying that this is the temptation to acquire possessions for oneself when this seems the most opportune thing to do. Jesus’ reply tells the devil that it is not for the individual to decide on his or her own needs but to check on God’s will as expressed by God’s word. To trust and obey God in one’s needs, not rely on oneself, is the all–important attitude for each individual. Jesus had come on earth as the suffering, servant Messiah–King to redeem mankind, not to use his power for himself and his well–being. On the cross Jesus refused to use his power for his own need (Lk. 23: 35, 37), to save himself. He did use his power for others in their needs (Lk. 4: 35; 5: 27; 6: 10; 7: 14, 50; 8: 54; 18: 42).
5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
“And the devil took him up” — From the other Gospels we know that what the devil took him up was a high mountain.
“and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” — This last phrase indicates that it was a vision of all the world’s kingdoms the devil showed Jesus rather than carrying him physically around the world.
“and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will’” — Jesus had not yet established his Kingdom on earth. The devil is offering him a short–cut. In one simple act his mission can be fully accomplished.
In Jesus’ final discourse to his apostles he declares “All authority in heaven and on earth (not just earth alone) has been given to me”. That is the fullness of authority and power. He has been given it from the only true and reliable source, his Father.
Has God delivered to the devil all authority over and the glory of all kingdoms? We certainly cannot trust any saying of “the father of lies”! Nevertheless John’s Gospel does imply that the devil does have great power over the world. This is limited and curtailed by the power and authority of God.
“If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.’” — This is a reminder of the Israelites setting up the molten golden calf for their worship (Ex. 32).
“And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” — Jesus rejected the devil’s offer of a political kingdom which would indicate that he was a political Messiah.
This temptation may be summed up by saying that it is the temptation to power, including political power. Jesus tells us that all power belongs to God. Power is not to be adored; ‘adoring’ power is to adore the devil.
9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ 11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
“And he took him to Jerusalem” — The three Synoptics record the temptations and Matthew and Luke list three that Jesus underwent in the wilderness but they do not present them in the same sequence. The reason for that is that each follows his own plan or theology. Luke narrates his Gospel as a journey of Jesus to Jerusalem where his Gospel terminates with the passion, death and resurrection. He places the Jerusalem temptation last. The temptation in the wilderness will be continued there. Jesus wins this battle but the war will continue.
“and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him” — The pinnacle was one of the highest points of the temple.
The temple was a theme in Luke’s Gospel. The birth of John the Baptist was announced in the temple (Lk. 1: 5–25). Jesus’ first journey after birth was to the temple where he was recognised by Simeon and Anna (Lk. 222–38). Once he came of age, he went to the temple where his knowledge and wisdom were admired (Lk. 2: 41–50). On his final journey to Jerusalem he cleansed the temple and taught there (Lk. 19: 45 — 21: 38). At his death there is a reference to the veil of the temple being torn right down the middle (Lk. 23: 45).
“‘If you are the Son of God’” — This is the second time the devil has introduced a temptation with these words (first temptation, verse 3). He hopes to sow doubt in Jesus’ mind about his sonship.
This third temptation is very closely associated with the first. The Israelites first complaint was for food; their second for water. They felt that they had a right to water from God because they were his special people, his Chosen. They presumed on his taking care of all their needs. See the similarity with the presumption in the third temptation of Jesus.
Both begin with the words, “If you are the Son of God”. Jesus had overcome the devil in the first by telling him that he must not put the Lord to the test. The devil is quick to say that he will quote from sacred scripture, the very word of God, where it states that God will look after his own in a very special way.
“throw yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” — The devil follows Jesus example and quotes psalm 91. If Jesus wishes to follow the sacred scriptures, here now is his opportunity, the devil tempts!
This temptation will be repeated on the cross when the leaders will jeer him and challenge Jesus to “save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One” (Lk. 23: 35). The soldiers will mock, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself” (Lk. 23: 37). One of the two thieves will abuse him, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well”. To the other he will promise salvation.
“And Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”’” — For the third time Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy (6: 16). He tells the devil that what the devil is trying to do is test God. God had made the promise to protect. If Jesus jumped it would mean that he was provoking God to fulfil his promise or show his promise to be false. Jesus had full faith in God’s promise; he was not going to test God. He was not going to exercise authority and power over God or manipulate him; his only desire was to obey him and do his will as a faithful servant. Jesus was utterly dependent on God and on doing his will, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Lk. 23: 46).
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
“And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.” — While the devil ended the temptations in the wilderness, these were to continue until Jesus’ death on the cross. When he meets a devil, he will be recognised and he will overcome the devil (Lk. 4: 41; 8: 29–33).
One of Luke’s intentions in his Gospel is to present Jesus as “the mightier one”, as he was called by John the Baptist (Lk. 3: 16). He shows Jesus overcoming the devil and evil spirits and saying that only one stronger than the devil can overcome the devil (Lk. 11: 14–26). Jesus’ final success was on the cross, “the appointed time” when he completed God’s will perfectly.
At the crucifixion, Jesus did not address the devil but he prayed to his Father in the garden, “Your will not mine be done” (Lk. 22: 42), for forgiveness for his executioners (Lk. 23: 34) and as he breathed forth his spirit, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk. 23: 46). Jesus makes it so clear that obedience to his Father is the perfect answer to temptation.
APPLICATION
Stational Churches
In Rome, during Lent, there are 45 churches referred to as “Stational churches”. These are churches designated for special devotions on days in Lent. Part of the celebrations include Solemn Mass offered by the Pope or his legate, with other prayers and services included. The four Major Basilicas were included, St. John Latern (The Church of our Saviour, the leading Catholic Church in the world). It comprises the Basilica (Church), the Pontifical Palace where the Popes lived, and the Baptistry. In the fifth century the titles of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist were added. This is why the title St. John Latern remained attached in the popular mind,. The Papal altar contains the wooden altar on which St. Peter is said to have celebrated Mass. This basilica is the mother of all churches and is the only church which has the title of Archbasilica. All of this adds to today’s feast.
The other basilicas, major and Minor are: Mary Major, St. Peters, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the three Minor Basilicas: Holy Cross in Jerusalem (very close to St. John Latern), St Lawrence and the Twelve Apostles. On the day of the station, the faithful gather in one church and in procession singing the Litany of the Saints or psalms, go to the church where the Mass is to be celebrated. There, in previous centuries, they would meet the Pope and his clergy, coming in state from his Patriarchal Palace of the Lateran. This was called “making the station.” There is not always a Papal Mass in the stational church, but the stational procession and Mass have been restored at Rome, especially in Lent when each day has its proper Station and Mass.
There are 86 stations of the year (great feasts and during Lent), and on Christmas, three, and on Easter, two “stational Masses” are mentioned, bringing the number of these stations to 89. Most of the stations are named after saints.
Temptations of Jesus
In this Gospel passage on the temptations of Jesus three are mentioned. We will reflect on each of the three now.
Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and at that time he spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. He became very hungry as he had eaten nothing. While the devil had been tempting him in the wilderness for the forty days none of this was particularly intense. But now the devil saw a wonderful opportunity to launch an especially severe temptation on Jesus weak from lack of food. At his baptism the Father had declared that Jesus was his Son. Now the devil slips in “If you are the Son of God”. He tries to upset Jesus with a doubt before going further with the temptation. He links Sonship with divine power. He wants Jesus to doubt his Sonship and his power. But Jesus is still alert. He resists with the defence: “Man does not live on bread alone”. God’s word is what really sustains us. Incidentally “bread” represents much more than food; it stands for all material needs. The word is used in slang in this sense of meaning money, e.g., Can you get me some ‘bread’, I need some ‘bread’.
This temptation may be summed up by saying that this is the temptation to acquire possessions for oneself when this seems the most opportune thing to do. Jesus’ reply tells the devil that it is not for the individual to decide on his or her own needs but to check on God’s will as expressed by God’s word. To trust and obey God in one’s needs, not rely on oneself, is the all–important attitude for each individual. Jesus had come on earth as the suffering, servant Messiah–King to redeem mankind, not to use his power for himself and his well–being. On the cross Jesus refused to use his power for his own need (Lk. 23: 35, 37), to save himself. He did use his power for others in their needs (Lk. 4: 35; 5: 27; 6: 10; 7: 14, 50; 8: 54; 18: 42).
In the second temptation the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, declared that they were his and that he would give them to Jesus, with their wealth and possessions if he would bow down and worship the devil. Jesus did not allow himself to fall for this temptation. He told the devil that his duty was to worship only his Father and to serve him alone. He did not adore power but the God of truth, love and mercy.
The third and last temptation, like the first, is a temptation to make Jesus deny that he is the Son of God. The devil brings Jesus to sit on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem. He encourages him to work a spectacular miracle to prove that he is the Son of God. He tells Jesus to throw himself off the pinnacle and have his angels catch him and bring him down safely. When the people would see this outstanding feat they would be overcome with awe and admiration and know that Jesus must be the Son of God. But, once again, Jesus does not give way to the devil. Jesus quotes Sacred Scripture, the book of Deuteronomy once again, chapter 6-8, and instructs the devil not to test God and have God do something to prove that he is God and working a spectacular miracle just for the sake of being spectacular.
In our personal temptations it is important to recall, first, that Jesus was baptised and at that time his Father spoke from heaven and declared that Jesus was his Son. The basic temptation was to have Jesus doubt that he was God’s Son. When tempted we should recall that by baptism we became the children of God and the devil does not wish us to dwell on that but that we become independent of God.
Secondly recall also that Jesus was tempted for forty days in the wilderness but three major temptations were set aside by the devil until Jesus would be at his weakest. Those three temptations were; to possess things, especially for comfort and the easy life, to have power for oneself and to indulge in pleasure.
Finally, it is important in temptation to keep baptism before your mind and heart. Temptation strengthens our baptism commitment and identity as children of God and members of the Body of Christ.