Luke 4: 1 – 13 Temptation in the Desert, Part I

Luke 4: 1 – 13 Temptation in the Desert, Part I

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 by 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 their 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.

Two things strike me about this passage. First, right at the outset we read that Jesus is “full of the Holy Spirit” as he goes out into the desert. Whether he knows it or not, he is preparing for what is to come. He does this by fasting and praying and being in solitude. I don’t think that this can be separated from the fact that he is about to successfully resist the devil and all his blandishments. By grounding himself through these activities/behaviors he deepens and strengthens his relationship with God. This reminds me of a key book in my spiritual life – The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. Foster promotes the development of 12 spiritual disciplines in order to deepen our relationship with God. They are taken from his study of Jesus actions as reported in the Gospels. These disciplines are meditation, fasting, prayer, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance and celebration. I have been feeling called to deepen my relationship with God and this is a good reminder and encouragement to begin.