Gospel: The Temptation of Jesus

Today marks the First Sunday of Lent, and the Gospel will be proclaimed from the solemn account of St Matthew (tap here for today's Mass readings from USCCB).

In each of the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), after Jesus' baptism by St John the Baptist, Jesus is reported to have gone to the desert to fast and pray for 40 days. In each case, while in the desert, Jesus is tempted by the devil.

St Matthew and St Luke give more detail than St Mark does, but each one tells how the devil tempts Jesus in the desert. In St Matthew, as in St Luke's account, the devil presents three temptations to Jesus. The devil tempts Jesus to use his power to appease his hunger; he tempts Jesus to put God's promise of protection to the test; and he offers Jesus all of the kingdoms in the world if Jesus will worship the devil. In each case, Jesus resists the temptation, rebuking the devil with words from the Scripture.

The account of Jesus' temptation in the desert is filled with allusions and parallels to the Old Testament, including the story of the people of Israel. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert in Exodus, for example, and Jesus spends 40 days in the desert. As the Israelites were tempted during the Exodus, so too Jesus is tempted.

Each temptation offers insight into both God and the human condition. Jesus' rejection of the temptations shows that he will not put God to the test. Grounding himself on the word and authority of the Scripture, Jesus rebukes the devil, confident in God's protection and faithfulness.

As we start our journey through Lent, our Sunday readings call us to adopt the same confidence that Jesus had in the face of temptation: God's word alone will suffice; God's promise of protection can be trusted; God alobe is God.

x----------x

The Gospel is sponsored by Hermes.