23.1.25 Luke 4:1-13

23 January

Prepare

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with humble hearts, knowing that You are holy and good. We bring our praise and our burdens, trusting in Your mercy and grace. Help us to draw close to You, to hear Your voice, and to rest in Your presence. Teach us Your ways and guide our hearts as we spend time with You. 

Take a moment to be still, to humble ourselves to our heavenly Father.

Read Luke 4: 1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Reflect

I can’t count the number of times I have been tempted to do something. And yes, a lot of those temptations were sinful or not honouring to God.  What strengthens me is knowing that Jesus too was also tempted, like I am! However, the example I need to follow is that each time, Jesus resists the temptation by responding with Scripture, demonstrating His trust in God’s Word and plan. The story ends with the devil leaving Jesus and angels coming to look after Him.

This story is a powerful example of how to resist temptation by relying on God’s Word, prayer, and spiritual discernment, reinforcing the importance of trusting in God's plan rather than seeking shortcuts and self-gratification.

Be

Almighty God,

you know the dangers that surround us and the temptations that assail us.

Grant us the strength to resist the snares of the evil one,

and the courage to stand firm in our faith.

Help us to seek Your will in all things,

and to trust in Your guidance to keep us from harm.

Give us wisdom to discern the right path,

and the humility to walk in Your ways.

Deliver us from temptation and keep us safe in Your care.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Become

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Man shall not live on bread alone?”

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only?”

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test?”

Do

Are there any temptations in your life that are keeping you from focusing on the 

Almighty? It says in Matthew 5 “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” This is not a literal instruction but a powerful image describing when something is causing you harm, remove it. 

Is there a temptation which needs to be physically removed from your lives? This could be something that you watch, listen to, read or somethings that you spend your time doing.

Practice

This week, learn some verses (learn the ones quoted by Jesus in today’s passage) from the Bible to help you when temptations come your way.