Jesus is Tempted
The temptation of Jesus in the desert happens when Jesus is alone. Mark’s Gospel only includes a brief mention that it happened. Matthew and Luke’s accounts are nearly identical, only the order of the temptations are flipped. Jesus must have told the Apostles that the temptation happened and how Satan tried to persuade Jesus to leave his mission behind. It important that Jesus experience this Himself as part of being true God and true Man. Jesus shares His experience to show the Apostles that Satan will attack them and how to resist attempts by Satan to thwart their ministry.
The Reality of Satan
Modern thought is that Satan is metaphorical and represents our human failings. This is FALSE. Satan is real, and he is active throughout the Old and New Testaments. Satan wants you to think he is not real. John’s Gospel calls him the “liar and the father of lies” in John 8:44. The biggest of these lies we fight every day is that Satan is not real. We are called in our Baptism to “reject Satan, his works, and his empty promises.” We often will notice Satan tempting us after a great moment or spiritual triumph in our lives. It is important to notice that Jesus temptation is following His baptism by John and the affirmation by the Father that Jesus is the Son of God. We need to be on our guard when great things come our way, that we are not tempted by Satan.
When it Happens – What do we do?
The first thing to do is to call it out. The liar of Lies works in the shadows, so bring him to light. Recognize you are being tempted; do not blame yourself for temptation happening. Guilt and self-loathing are often Satan’s tools. Pray a rosary, read some scripture, or listen to some spiritual music to bring yourself back to God. Visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Scripture also tells us what to do with temptation. In James 4:7, he says, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Go to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The First letter of John verse 9 says, “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.”
Look Here for More
These links are articles I used for researching the Friday Update.
I also use the USCCB NAB Bible and its footnotes extensively.
