Luke 4:1-13
When you flip to the middle of this months’ Bon Appétit magazine, you are greeted by an image of a large slice of Irish brown soda bread slathered in yellow butter. I had the magazine open for about two days before I drove to Kroger, purchased the ingredients that I needed and began kneading dough in my own kitchen. I was tempted by more than the image, as the memories of eating such bread in my visits to Northern Ireland and the thought of a warm loaf of bread emerging from my oven on a cold March day rushed through my mind. As I continually went back to the fresh loaf for my last piece of bread, I realized that I had to get the temptation out of sight – and quick!
We each face temptation – the consequences differ, but we know the feeling of being pulled in a direction in which we should not be going. Jesus knows this feeling as well. In our text today, we see Jesus resist temptation, resting in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the garden of Gethsemane, we can only imagine that Jesus was tempted to walk away, or to call on the powers of heaven to amend the situation at hand – however, we know that Jesus faced temptation, relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and made a choice which would change the world forever. During this Lenten journey, may you also be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit knowing that you do not travel alone. May you continue to rely on God to fulfill you as you use these weeks before Easter to prepare your heart, mind and spirit for the resurrection of our Savior.
Elizabeth Lobello
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