TGBC Saturday, Feb 17 Luke 4:1-13

The Good Book Club 

SATURDAY, February 17 Luke 4:1-13. 

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,

“Worship the Lord your God,

   and serve only him.” ’

 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 protect you”, 

and

“On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ 

Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

++++++++++ 

Saturday for Thought. Couple things. First, if we take Luke at his word, Jesus was well and truly tempted - which seems perfectly natural for one who (doctrinally “True God”) is also doctrinally "True Man". What is the nature of the temptations here? + What has tempted YOU? If you are like me, not to mention like Jesus facing at least three temptations, many things have tempted you:  How did you do, how have you done, how are you doing with temptations to which you know in your heart you really don’t want to yield? 

+ Tempted but did not sin, says scripture and doctrine: not only does Jesus get an A Plus for this exercise, but also our Creator God now knows and understands from personal experience what we humans go through, we who are only human and not god. 

+ Another thing is quite subtle, but notice. While Mark does not go into detail about the temptations, Matthew and Luke do (which some NT scholars would say indicates a "Q" source). Matthew 4:1-11 presents the devil’s temptations in this order: (1) Bread, (2) Jerusalem & Temple, (3) Kingdoms of the World. But Luke gives a different order: (1) Bread, (2) Kingdoms of the World, (3) Jerusalem & Temple: why are they different? Could it be because of Luke’s view that links Jesus so closely with Jerusalem and the Temple throughout his life (the Temple, being key and most important, is last, final, the ultimate temptation). But if that's the case, why does Matthew, writing to Jewish Christians, not put Jerusalem & Temple last and highest? + BTW, if you don’t know hypothetical Sayings Gospel Q, I invite you to my Sunday School class! 

+ What might be the “opportune time” that the devil is waiting for, what will be the Last Temptation of Christ? What will be your own ultimate temptation? How will you do? God will love you no matter what, but will you be proud of yourself? TW+