Readings:
- Deuteronomy 26.4-10
Psalm 91.1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 Response: “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” - Romans 10.8-13
- Luke 4.1-13
[Note: Many parishes use the readings from Cycle A during Lent. In that case, the gospel would be Matthew 4.1-11.]
Reflections on the Gospel Reading
For centuries Catholic Christians have listened to the gospel story of the temptation of Jesus on the first Sunday of Lent. What meaning does this story have for us as we listen to it today?
It is helpful to recall that the story of Jesus’ temptation by the devil concludes the long introduction to the Galilean ministry of Jesus, which one might even call the overture to Luke’s Gospel. In that overture Luke sets out various themes or motifs that will run through the rest of his narrative. In this passage the life and ministry of Jesus are compared to the story of the People of Israel wandering in the desert for forty years.
As described in the Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the desert years were, in many respects, an idyllic time for Israel. It was a time of closeness and intimacy with God. God’s presence was almost palpable. God’s cloud led them by day, and the pillar of fire by night. God protected them from danger, gave them water to drink from the rock, and fed them with manna and quail.
Yet, the desert years were also a time of testing. As the story goes, almost all of the people failed the test. They murmured against God, longed for civilized Egyptian meat dishes, rebelled against Moses, and worshipped the golden calf. As a result, with the exception of Joshua, none of those who left Egypt were still alive when it came time to enter the Promised Land. All of them, even Moses, died in the desert.
Luke, then, is saying that Jesus (in Hebrew, Joshua) recapitulates the exodus experience of the People of Israel in his life and ministry. Like them, he was tested. Unlike them, he remained a loyal son of God, even at the cost of his life.
At the end of today’s gospel passage Luke tells us that the devil departed from Jesus “until an appropriate time (Greek kairos as opposed to ordinary time chronos).” For Luke the period from the beginning of Jesus’ Galilean ministry to his passion was also idyllic for the most part, a time of extraordinary grace. Jesus’ healings and miracles announced that the power of the devil was broken and the Kingdom of God was at hand. People flocked to hear the good news, sinners joined Jesus at meals, and the crowds were fed with bread and fish. His disciples went out without a purse, bag, or sandals and lacked nothing. During the public ministry God protected Jesus from attacks on his life and reputation. Jesus met every challenge to his honor and bested his enemies in every argument to the point that “they no longer dared to ask him another question.” (Luke 20.40)
This more-or-less idyllic period ended just before Passover when Luke tells us “Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot . . ; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.” (Luke 22.3) This was the appropriate time, the kairos, that the devil had been waiting for. As the devil returns to the scene, the stage is set for the passion, the last temptation of Jesus.
Luke’s story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert clearly points to the passion. (See Luke 22.38 where Jesus refers to his “temptations” [peirasmoi].) During his passion, far from changing stones to bread, Jesus eats nothing and feeds no one. During his passion, Jesus is stripped of all power and glory; he wins no arguments; his disciples abandon him; and he is left to the mercy of his enemies. During his passion, Jesus has to endure the taunt, “let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one,” (Luke 23.35) a taunt that reflects the devil’s twofold challenge, “if you are the Son of God . . . .”
During his temptation in the desert Luke has Jesus respond with quotes from the Book of Deuteronomy. At the climax of the passion narrative Luke places a quote from Psalm 31 on the lips of Jesus. It is helpful to read it in context.
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. (Psalm 31. 1-5 [NRSV])
Each time we say the Lord’s Prayer we plead: “Lead us not into temptation.” or “Save us from the time of trial.” or “Do not put us to the test.” We do not want to go through what Jesus went through, either figuratively as in today’s temptation story or actually as in his passion. Jesus didn’t want to be put to the test either. In Luke’s Gospel on the Mount of Olives Jesus instructs his disciples: “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he prays: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22.40-42)
The main thrust of Luke’s temptation narratives (in the desert and on the cross) is apologetic, not hortatory. Luke is not primarily urging us to follow Jesus’ example. Nor is he projecting the temptations suffered by Christians of his time back into the life and ministry of Jesus. Rather, he is trying to “correct a false understanding of Jesus’ mission as Son.” (Fitzmyer 1981, 509)
The symbolic meaning of the temptation stories is to explain why Jesus never performed miracles on his own behalf, did not conform to contemporary messianic expectations, and did not receive miraculous protection from God. (See Fitzmyer 1981, 508, 509, & 512.) In the Lukan tradition, for Jesus to be son of God meant for Jesus to rely completely on God and God’s word. “The three [temptation] scenes . . . depict Jesus as the Son of God obedient to his Father’s will and refusing to be seduced into using his power or authority as Son for any reason other than that for which he has been sent.” (Fitzmyer 1981, 510)
Even though it does not appear that Luke’s main intent in relating the temptation stories was to help us face similar temptations in our lives, generations of Christians have done just that. For many today, Lent is a time to recall how we should deal with temptation in our lives. Pondering today’s gospel passage with the passion of Jesus in mind guides us in this project. We learn that we must rely completely on God. The scriptures must become so much a part of our lives that they spring spontaneously into prayer.
When we are tempted to use God’s gifts, especially the resources of the natural world, exclusively for our own advantage, or to lead the good life with all its luxuries without sharing with others in need, we must remember: “One does not live on bread alone.” When we are tempted to worship idols of wealth or fame or power, we must remember: “You shall worship the Lord, your God, whom alone shall you serve.” When our nation’s leaders justify military violence in the pursuit of empire with the claim that God is on our side, we must remember, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Finally, when we realize that death is immanent, when further medical treatment is useless, when our appropriate time (our kairos) has come, we will face our last temptation. We will be tempted to curse God for taking us away from everyone and everything we love, for the inevitable physical pain and mental anguish that accompany dying, for making it necessary for us to die when it could have been otherwise. At that time let us hope that we will have recourse to the prayer of Jesus on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
In preparing these reflections, in addition to the biblical texts, I consulted the following works:
Fitzmyer 1981 – Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Gospel According to Luke I-IX : Introduction, Translation, and Notes. Anchor Bible Volume 28. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1981), pp. 506-520.
Johnson 1991 – Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke , Sacra Pagina Series Volume 3, A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991), pp. 73-77.
LaVerdier 1990 – Eugene, LaVerdier, S.S.S., Luke. New Testament Message, Volume 5. A Michael Glazier Book (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1990), pp. 53-57.
Levine & Brettler 2011 – Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, Eds., The Jewish Annotated New Testament, New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), p. 106.
Malina & Rohrbaugh 1992 – Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1992), pp. 306-307.
Mitchell 2004 – Mitchell, Joan, CSJ, “1st Sunday of Lent,” Sunday by Sunday, Vol. 13, No.25, February 29, 2004, pp. 1-3.
Pilch 1997 – John J. Pilch, The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C . A Liturgical Press Book (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997), pp. 49-51.