First Sunday of Lent

Gospel Bullet Points (Luke 4:1-13)

• Temptation is not in itself sinful. To be tempted is not a sin. In the Gospel, we see Christ himself tempted, but He did not sin. Temptation becomes a sin when we give in and allow temptation to become action. May kaibahan ang TINUTUKSO sa NAGPAPATUKSO. Ang tinutukso ay hindi nagkakasala, samantalang ang nagpapatukso ay siyang nagkakasala.
• Two attitudes towards temptations: 1. We can run away from temptations, or, 2. We can run after temptations – meaning to say, we are the ones looking and running after temptations….. In that way, we are making Satan jobless.
• The three temptations of Jesus in the desert are our temptations:

1. Bread, after forty days of fasting, could have been very enticing to the Lord. While we may not hunger for bread, how often are we tempted by the LURES of wealth, power, and comfort?

2. We are not tempted to throw ourselves into the rocks. But how often are we tempted to throw ourselves onto the rocks of self-pity, worry, anger, resentment, jealousy, self-righteousness, and pride? These are temptations that can easily crush our spirits.

3. Finally, most of us would draw back at the thought of bowing to Satan. Yet, how easy it is for us to bow before the gods of career, prestige, material possessions, power, and the like, believing that all these will give us total fulfillment.

• Be alert because Satan is so astute. Satan will always present evil as something good, something harmless, but in reality, they are deadly. He says, “Your God wants you to be MISERABLE . . . BUT I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY!” But in fact, what you enjoy 20 minutes of pleasure would be equal to suffering in hell for eternity. If the devil is wise, then we should be wiser.