Daily Devotion, February 26, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read Luke 4:1-13.

For those who follow what is called the lectionary (a 3-year series of Bible readings for use in worship), this scene is the Gospel passage each year for the first Sunday in the Season of Lent. The first three Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus all mention this scene, but only Matthew and Luke give us the details about it. Immediately after Jesus is baptized and hears the affirmation from God about who he is, he is led into the wilderness for a time of testing. And although he rejects each of the temptations the devil offers him, Luke tells us that the testing would continue. I believe that testing continued until he took his last breath on the cross.

We all face times of testing in our daily lives as we seek to follow Jesus. The more we learn of his way, the more we confront situations where we have to decide if we are going to go along with the ways of this world or choose to live his way. If the vending machine gives you two packs of peanuts when you just paid for one, do you find some way to give back the extra pack? If someone in your group tells a joke that demeans someone of another race or the other gender, do you just laugh with the group? If you know someone is spreading false information about a person or group, do you just let it go? When Jesus tells you to “love your enemies” do you just chalk that one up to being too tough to actually do? There is no doubt about it: to be a follower of Jesus Christ means we all face times of testing.

Jesus’ primary testing in this situation was having to decide how he would live his life as the Son of God. You and I have to regularly decide how we will live our life as a representative of this same God.

Personal Worship Option:

Consider this prayer: Almighty God, please give me the wisdom and courage to choose to follow the way of Christ in all the times of testing I face. Forgive me when I fail those tests. Help me learn from those failures so that I will be stronger the next time. In the name of Jesus Christ, who understands what it is like to face the tests of this world, Amen.