The 3 Temptations

1st Sunday of Lent Reflection - 3/6/22

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:8, 11, 13‬

Jesus was delivered from the Devil because He believed in the Lord & confessed with His mouth. The Devil tried to tempt Jesus with God’s word but Jesus knew in His heart what God wanted and confessed the true word of God.

We are to confess the faith through the Creed and call upon God for help.

3 Temptations of Jesus during His 40 days in the desert:

• Lust of the flesh: the desire for the pleasures of body; addictions (ie alcohol, sex, food, porn)

  • (Luke 4:3) He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

  • (Luke 4:4) Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

• Lust of the eyes: the desire to possess/to accumulate; the desire to have what we see

  • (Luke 4:5-7) Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.”

  • (Luke 4:8) Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.’”

• Pride of the Life: the pride to go after something else; the desire to become something else then what we are

  • (Luke 4:9-11) Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

  • (Luke 4:12) Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”

King David/Solomon + 3 Rules of Moses:

• Should not excessive amount of wives (1 Kings 11:3 - 700 wives and 300 concubines)

• Should not have excessive amount of gold/wealth (1 Kings 10:14 - The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed six hundred and sixty-six gold talents,)

• Should not have excessive amount of power/military
  

Eve + Tree (Genesis 3:6):

The woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh) and pleasing to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom (pride of life).