Why is Jesus Tempted in Luke 4?

The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for Lent 1 in Year C is Luke 4.1โ€“13, Luke’s account of the temptation of Jesus in the desert.ย The 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tested by Satan offers us the pattern for the Lenten periodโ€”though it is worth noting at the outset both that the figure … Continue Reading

The testing of Jesus in Matthew 4

As we enter the season of Lent on Sunday, the lectionary for the First Sunday in Lent, Year A, is of course Matt 4.1โ€“11. It is worth noting that the lectionary and seasonal arrangement of the 40 days (46 calendar days minus the feast days of Sundays that exempt us from lenten discipline) corresponding to … Continue Reading