Reflection for March 9 First Sunday of Lent: Luke 4:1-13

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 

Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “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 said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet 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 guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” 

Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

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Reflection:

A man gave in to the temptation of an adulterous affair. His sister constantly advised him to end the immoral relationship, but he did not listen. He reasoned that his wife would never catch him. Indeed, he was never caught, but when he died, the devil immediately brought his soul to hell. 

Today is the first Sunday of Lent, and we read that Jesus was tempted by the devil three times. The first was to transform a stone into bread, the second was to worship the devil in exchange for power and glory, and the third was to jump from the parapet. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus rejected all three temptations and walked away from the devil. 

Why do we succumb to temptation? Why can’t we refuse or simply walk away from the devil? The answer is simple: we take control of our lives instead of surrendering to God. Rather than following His authority, we follow our own sinful desires—desires that the devil feeds into our minds. 

If we follow the devil’s ways, we will gain nothing but hell. If we sell our souls to him, we will reap only misery. What happened to Judas when he gave in to the devil’s temptation and betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:3-5)? Did he profit from it? No. Likewise, we will gain nothing good if we yield to the devil’s many temptations. 

Let us make this Lent a time to deeply strengthen our relationship with Jesus so that we can resist whatever temptations the devil places before us. 

What are you doing to strengthen your relationship with Jesus? —Marino J. Dasmarinas