Br. Kornelius Glossanto sx
Sunday reflection
1st Sunday of Lent 6 March 2022
Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm. 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13.
After fasting for forty days, nothing is more appealing and desirable than food. Of course it would be understandable if on this occasion Jesus turned stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. But if we look closely, Satan's words "If you are the Son of God..." is actually a temptation for Jesus to act by his own power, and distance himself from the Father. Obviously, this is an unthinkable rejection of his divine nature. So Jesus' answer is quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, "... Man does not live by bread alone" teaches that man lives because of the goodness of God who cares for and fulfills human needs of all kinds. So life means being completely dependent on God, even if the situation seems hopeless. The second temptation is an offer to get power. But the offer is not free because Satan demands of Jesus too high a price. And clearly, Satan is not worthy of worship and does not have such great power to offer Jesus. So by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, Jesus emphasizes that only God is worthy of worship. The third temptation is the temptation to test God's truthfulness. Of course Jesus did not want to force God his Father to perform miracles. Then Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 against the words of Satan. Even here the devil failed totally.
The key to Jesus' victory was to follow God's will wherever God directed Him. This is an important lesson because we too are experiencing critical moments in our journey of faith when we feel tempted to test God's goodness and faithfulness. So hold on to God's word and have full trust in Him, no matter what situation we face.
Br. Kornelius Glossanto,sx
Sunday reflection
1st Sunday of Lent 6 March 2022
Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm. 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13.
After fasting for forty days, nothing is more appealing and desirable than food. Of course it would be understandable if on this occasion Jesus turned stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. But if we look closely, Satan's words "If you are the Son of God..." is actually a temptation for Jesus to act by his own power, and distance himself from the Father. Obviously, this is an unthinkable rejection of his divine nature. So Jesus' answer is quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, "... Man does not live by bread alone" teaches that man lives because of the goodness of God who cares for and fulfills human needs of all kinds. So life means being completely dependent on God, even if the situation seems hopeless. The second temptation is an offer to get power. But the offer is not free because Satan demands of Jesus too high a price. And clearly, Satan is not worthy of worship and does not have such great power to offer Jesus. So by quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, Jesus emphasizes that only God is worthy of worship. The third temptation is the temptation to test God's truthfulness. Of course Jesus did not want to force God his Father to perform miracles. Then Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 against the words of Satan. Even here the devil failed totally.
The key to Jesus' victory was to follow God's will wherever God directed Him. This is an important lesson because we too are experiencing critical moments in our journey of faith when we feel tempted to test God's goodness and faithfulness. So hold on to God's word and have full trust in Him, no matter what situation we face.
Br. Kornelius Glossanto,sx