On the Back Porch
Reading, pondering and studying God’s Word is sometimes best done “on the back porch.” Each week we will try to offer something for you and your “back porch time.”
1st Lent, Year C | Testing the Son of God
What We Celebrate
As we move into Lent, the Sunday gospel from Luke takes a “step back.” In the three preceding Sundays we explored the “Sermon on the Plain,” but now we return to the first pericope following Jesus’ baptism. “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.” (Luke 4:1-2) What is the purpose of “tempting” Jesus? Was there a “chance” that Jesus would fail? Does it offer us something to consider when we are tempted? Is tempting the same as testing?
There is a lot to unpack in these verses, so grab your favorite beverage and take some time on the back porch.
Full Text of the Sunday Readings
Detailed Commentary on the Gospel
Image credit: The Temptation in the Wilderness, Briton Rivière (1898) | Public Domain
Below is a short film illustrating Christ’s forty days in the wilderness where, prior to beginning His earthly ministry, He was tempted by Satan. The director adds some dialogue to animate and further the narrative, but even that added dialogue is taken from Scripture.