1st Sunday of Lent : Deuteronomy (26: 4-10) Romans (10:8-13) Luke (4: 1-13)
The readings of the first Sunday in lent invite us to reflect deeply on the themes of faith, reliance on God and the choices we make in the face of temptation. They remind us that our journey of faith involves trials and temptations, but through trust in God, we can overcome them. During lent we are once again reminded of God’s unwavering love for the people of Israel. We recall the wonders He performed to set them free from slavery under pharaoh, his guidance through the desert, and His faithfulness in leading them to the promised land. Today’s reading comes from a section in Deuteronomy that outlines the liturgical and covenantal responsibilities of the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land God had promised them. Deuteronomy, presented as mosses’ farewell discourse, reaffirms and expands upon the laws given earlier in the Torah, calling Israel to faithfulness and gratitude.
The first reading serves as a sort of profession of faith, a confession of God’s enduring love. Each year, at the offering of the first fruits, every Israelite would recite this declaration, acknowledging God’s providence and faithfulness through the generations. In this Sacred ritual, the priest would receive the offering and place it before the altar, symbolizing the worshiper’s recognition that all blessings come from God. The priest’s role as mediator underscores the significance of the priesthood in interceding between God and His people. On this first Sunday of Lent, the church invites us to make a similar offering not of grain or produce, but of the first fruits of our repentance. We are called to reflect on God’s love and mercy in our lives. His works in our favor have been even greater than those performed for Israel, yet we, like them, have often failed to respond fully to His Love.
We too were spiritual wanderers, lost and aimless, until Christ in His mercy, opened the path to heaven for us. Recognizing God’s love and acknowledging our shortcomings is the first step toward a genuine and lasting Lenten conversion. Lent is a season of renewal, a time to turn back to Christ, seek healing and nourishment in Him, break free from our idols, and reclaim the joy we have lost. Christ has not changed His love for us, remain as faithful as ever. Let us respond with sincere hearts offering Him the first fruits of our renewed faith and devotion.
The account of Jesus’s temptation in Luke 4: 1-13 is part of the synoptic tradition. It reflects a theological and historical understanding of Jesus’ role as the obedient Son of God who, unlike Israel in the wilderness, remains faithful to God’s will. For Jesus as for all Jews, the wilderness recalled the birth place of the people: the place they must return to at times of crisis, to be again the history cut short by their unfaithfulness to God. Luke records three temptations of Jesus, each demonstrating a test of his faithfulness to God.
The first temptation turning stones into bread, Satan’s challenge, “if you are the son of God” is a test of Jesus’ divine identity. The temptation targets Jesus’ physical hunger, paralleling Israel’s complaint about food in the wilderness. Jesus’ response quotes Deuteronomy8:3 emphasizing reliance on God rather than material sustenance.
The second temptation- Authority over all kingdoms. The offer of political power reflects messianic expectations of a ruling king. The devils claim to have authority over the world aligns with Jewish apocalyptic belief that Satan temporarily influences earthly kingdoms. Jesus’s response quoting Deuteronomy 6: 13 affirms exclusive devotion to God, rejecting a shortcut to kingship.
Third temptation- testing God at the temple. The devil quotes psalm 91: 11-12, a passage about divine protection, twisting scripture to justify recklessness. Jesus rebuffs him with Deuteronomy 6:16 recalling Israel’s testing of God at Massah (exodus 17:1-7).
Jesus makes his determination clear; his father would always be at the center of his life; he would do his will at any cost, and that for a motive as simple as it is deep: his father loved him and he loved his father. Moreover, the temptation of Jesus highlights the choices we make in the face of temptation. Just as Jesus relied on Scripture and trust in God to overcome these trials, we are also called to remain faithful, resisting the allure of power, self-reliance, and testing God’s will.