1st Sunday of Lent, Feb.

21, 2010
( Deut. 26:4-10; Rom. 10:8-13; Lk. 4:1-13)

This passage from Deuteronomy is a neat summary of the entire story of

Israels foundational belief. It is summarized with the phase My father was a
wandering Aramean (that means Abraham). Beginning with that one expression,
the complete story of Israels formation unfolds. Landless and few, they discover
their identity as pilgrims and eventually as a nation in this land flowing with milk
and honey.
To get there, they had to journey into Egypt where they became enslaved. The
Lord heard their cry and set them free, bringing them through the desert into this
fertile and productive land. Now even though Deuteronomy is written as if it were
Moses great farewell speech before these freed slaves entered into the Promised
Land, this passage presumes they have already arrived in the land.
This happens frequently in the book of Deuteronomy. It was actually written
500 years or so after the Exodus had taken place; that is, long after Moses died
(ca.1200 BC). The book reviews the giving of the Law to Moses and the acts of
Israels giving in to temptations along the way. Israel was always on the brink of
revolting against the Lord during the 40 years in the desert and more than once
Israel rebelled against the Lord and liberator of this people. That too is a constant
part of Israels self understanding. They were always on the brink of following
other gods.
Luke was familiar with Deuteronomy and quoted it in the temptation scene of
todays Gospel. In answer to the first temptation to turn stone into bread Jesus
quotes Dt.8:3 One does not live on bread alone. In the second case when the devil
promises Jesus all earthly power, Jesus again cites Dt.6:13: You shall worship the
Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.
In the third temptation the devil also uses the Old Testament citing two verses
of todays responsorial Psalm, Ps.91: 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. And a third time Jesus quotes Dt.6:16: You shall not put the Lord,
your God, to the test.
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a
time. This line stands out like a sore thumb and is worth a second look. In fact,
Luke never allows the tempter to return. Luke carefully avoids this possibility as he
fashions the Gospel around the ever faithful Jesus, compared to the desert
generation which gave in to temptations frequently. Lukes Jesus ends the power of
temptation right here.
In the Agony in the Garden, Matthew and Mark both portray Jesus deeply
grieved to the point of death. But Lukes Jesus says to the disciples: Pray that you
may not undergo the test. And as he dies, Lukes Jesus says Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit! This contrasts sharply with the cry in Matt/Mk: My
God, my God, why have you abandoned me? By doing this Luke gives us a Jesus
who demonstrates total trust and unbreakable confidence in the Father even in the
face of death itself.
As pieces of literature the gospels are much more complicated then they seem
at first glance. The temptation scene is far more than a newspaper account of an
event in the life of Jesus. It is rather, a vehicle for teaching us about the ever faithful
Jesus who fulfills the very law he quotes in this scene. What treasure the gospels
are! May you have a prayerful Lent.

Fr. Lawrence L. Hummer