Wednesday of the Third Week of Holy Lent

The Gospel according to St. Luke (4:1-13)

   ”Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.“

    Today’s gospel repeats for us the chapter of the temptation on the mount, according to St. Luke the Evangelist. He says that the Lord was led by the Spirit. This is His own Spirit with which He and the Father are one. The Spirit descended on Him in baptism as a credit to our nature in Him. Based on that, St Paul says: ”For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:14-15).

    He has blessed our nature, sanctified it and united it to Himself. We are created anew in Christ. Therefore, we should live, move and exist by the Spirit. We conquer and overcome temptations by the grace that is in us.

    Temptations cannot be avoided. They will happen for sure.

    The tempter will not be abolished. He is present and ready to fight against Christ. However, when the Spirit leads our steps, by grace we are saved, not by our power nor by our piety.

    + In the days of fasting, temptations are the test that we will surely face. When we are faced with temptations, how sweet it is to remember the psalm that says:” For by You I can [run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall.” Ps 18:29 Can anyone believe that a man can run against a troop or an army? Indeed, he who unites with Christ the Almighty God and is led by the Spirit, can. Nothing shall be impossible with him.

    Didn’t the psalmist say:” Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;” ? (Ps. 23:4).

    We are in the company of Christ. Therefore, fear will run away, death is destroyed and the power of the tempter is abolished.

    + A life led by the Spirit fulfills a person’s needs. He or she is able to renounce even the essential needs of the flesh. The Spirit shall satisfy the life with joy, comfort and peace. Living in the Spirit is our challenge in life. These attributes make a person give up food and drink willingly as the wise one said: ”A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,” (Proverbs 27:7).

 Fr. Louka Sidarous

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