Temptation & Prayer
First Sunday of Lent
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030925.cfm
There are parallels between the Lord’s Prayer and the temptations Jesus experienced in today’s gospel. We like to look at Jesus as being fully divine, but like us, Jesus learned from his experiences and observations. While being God, he was human and was on a journey to God. Like with us, God was revealed through his experience with scripture, others, and the world. The temptations Jesus experienced point to how he would teach us to pray.
Temptation 1: Immediate Needs
Setting: Jesus was hungry after 40 days of fasting.
Devil: If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.
Jesus: It is written, One does not live on bread alone.
Lord’s Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread.
How much do we stress about our immediate needs and desires? Jesus reminds us to go beyond such worry. Yes, our true needs must be taken care of for us to live, but our true needs go beyond what we perceive as needs. We have two issues:
The things that we perceive as our needs, that aren’t.
The things that we don’t perceive that are our needs, that are.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God to take care of these daily needs. We are asking God to take care of us. Part of the care is helping us discern what our true needs are, lest we become tempted.
Temptation 2: Power and Control
Setting: The devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
Devil: I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.
Jesus: It is written: “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”
Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name.
We all have a desire for control. We have a desire to acquire things, bond with others, create our world, and defend/protect our ability to do these things. These desires are not bad in themselves, but at times, these desires can take over us. These desires can turn into us seeking power and glory.
In the Lord’s prayer, we remind ourselves where the true power and glory lie. We can’t compete with God. To seek power and glory is a vain action. In recognizing that true power and glory is with God, we free ourselves from such endeavors and temptations.
Temptation 3: Testing God
Setting: Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the wall of the temple.
Devil: If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus: It also says, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Lord’s Prayer: Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven… Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
When we lack responsibility or avoid doing what we know we should be doing, we are testing to see if God will take care of us. It’s as if we’re inflicting suffering upon ourselves to see if God will take care of us. We also say prayers that we’ll change our ways if only God does or gives us something. This too is a method of testing God. We seek validation from God in the midst of suffering and can take God for granted in good times. God loves us regardless.
When we ask for God’s will to be done, we put the trust back in God. There is no need for us to test.
Concluding Moment
Setting: When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
Lord’s Prayer: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
We will fall short, but God will forgive us. Let us be mindful to do the same with others.
