Lenten Reflection on Luke 4:1-13
One of the richest passages for reflection in the gospels is the story of Jesus being tempted just prior to the start of his public ministry. There are lots of words that are worth pulling out and meditating upon, such as the words “full of the Holy Spirit,” wilderness,” “forty days,” “devil,” and “tempted.” What might it mean to be led by or “full of” the Holy Spirit? We assume that it is a good thing to be full of the Spirit, but does it also happen to us and if so, how would we recognize it? We think of a biblical “wilderness” as a sandy, dry, empty place, but what are modern wildernesses in which we wander? “Forty days” seems like a long time; aren’t most temptations spur of the moment things? And what different forms do “devilish” voices take when we find ourselves tempted to do what is wrong?
Temptations are generally things that pull us in unhelpful, even dangerous directions. They cause us to veer from the straight line we hope to travel – bad detours from the path we ought to follow. They also pull our eyes off the goal that God has set before us, causing us to focus on something else or believe a different goal has more value. When Jesus was hungry, the Tempter tried to get him to break his solidarity with humanity and make stones into bread (something no human can do). Then Jesus was tempted with absolute power, yet of an unholy form. Finally, it was suggested Jesus test God by throwing himself off a high tower and see if God would protect him. All were distractions from Jesus’ true mission, and all were rejected. Thinking of temptations as distractions can be a helpful reminder to “keep our eye on the prize” and trust that God will always give us the strength we need for the journey ahead.
This Week’s Spiritual Practice
“In our zeal to become landlords of our own being, the ALL of God dies in us and the sterile nothingness of our desires becomes our God.” – James Finley
“The greatest human temptation is to settle for too little.” – Thomas Merton
Find time and space for prayerful stillness. Take a few long, slow breaths in, and a few long, slow breaths out. Let your mind rest on the feeling of your body breathing as you let your body rest into your seat. As the mind settles, and the body becomes still, prayerfully engage this contemplation:
What am I holding onto that, when released, will open a doorway to feeling closer with God?
Rest, and listen for an inner response…. Give yourself time to reflect, and, if helpful, to journal. (A helpful journaling prompt may be to write across the top of a page, “What I am ready to release to feel closer to God is….” and let yourself see what comes in response.)
When an answer has come, and you feel ready, collect a measure of sand in your hand. Close your hand around the sand as you bring awareness to what you have been holding onto. Feel what it’s like to be holding on. Now, notice what it feels like to be ready to let this go, to release whatever for you keeps you “settling for too little,” for anything less than the ALL of God. When you feel ready, bring your hand over the opening of your terrarium and slowly release the sand into this vessel as you release attachment to what you have been holding onto. Feel your heart opening to the presence of God as you release. When complete, let yourself rest quietly in God’s presence, feeling God’s love for you, receiving God’s blessings.
Additional Lent Resources
To read this week’s Facing Systemic Racism resource, terrarium instructions, and focus for families with teens please check out the entire Lenten Devotional here.
Families with children can follow along with the Sunday School at Home curriculum that follows the themes and activities as our all church devotional.