Luke
4:1-13
With thanks to page sponsor:
Susan Gilbert Zencka
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
- "He Who Subjugates Satan," Comparative World Scriptures from United Communities of Spirit.
- IV.VI.6, V.XXI.2, V.XXII.2, V.XXIV.1, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- Chapter VIII, On Prayer, Tertullian (c. 199)
- Matthew 4:1-4, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-4, Matthew 4:5-11/Mark 1:13/Luke 4:5-13. John Calvin.
- From the
Geneva Notes.
- "Christ, being carried away (as it were out of the world) into the desert, comes suddenly as if from heaven, having fasted for forty days and overcoming Satan three times, and thus begins his office."
- From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary (c. 1700).
- "Christ's being led into the wilderness gave an advantage to the tempter; for there he was alone, none were with him by whose prayers and advice he might be helped in the hour of temptation. He who knew his own strength might give Satan advantage; but we may not, who know our own weakness."
- From
Wesley's
Notes.
John Wesley
(1703-1791).
- "The wilderness - Supposed by some to have been in Judea; by others to have been that great desert of Horeb or Sinai, where the children of Israel were tried for forty years, and Moses and Elijah fasted forty days."
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- Commentary,
Luke 4:1-13, Scott Shauf, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2013.
- "...note that the common thread in the devil’s three temptations is an alternative mission and destiny to the cross and Jesus’ pronouncement in 4:18-19."
- "Lent," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.
- "During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves."
- "Trust and Temptation," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2013.
- "I don’t think that a sermon on temptation needs to be either titillating or boring to be helpful. Rather, I think it needs to be both honest and realistic. In fact, I think that kind of sermon on temptation might be just the thing a lot of our people need and want to hear."
- "Twice Led, not Fed, Well Read," D Mark Davis, raw translation and exegesis/questions, Left Behind and Loving It, 2013.
- "Temptation and the Will of God," Rick Morley, 2013.
- "Giving Up Guns for Lent," Eric D. Barreto, ON Scripture, Odyssey Networks, 2013.
- "Saying 'Yes' and Saying 'No'," Kyle Childress, Ekklesia Project, 2013.
- Lectionary Greek, Luke 4:1-13, Rob Myallis, 2013.
- The Temptation of Jesus, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2013.
- "The Early History of Lent," study guide for adults, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) Lent, focus of "Christian Reflection," Baylor University Center of Christian Ethics, 2013. Focus article, "The Early History of Lent," Nicholas V. Russo.
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- Preaching Luke 4:1-13, Ronald J. Allen, Lectionary Homiletics sample, 2013.
- "A preacher could use the temptation as a case study in how to use the Bible when attempting to come to theological clarity. Both Jesus and the devil cite the Bible, but from a theological point of view, citing the Bible is not enough."
- "Love's Temptations," Nancy Rockwell, Bite in the Apple, 2013.
- "Haven’t churches promoted a lifestyle of limited options for the heart, the head, and the home, to such a degree that a harvest of human misery is now being revealed by a world that shuns the pews in increasing number, finding the hypocrisy about marriage, sex, and sacredness so rife that churches are no longer seen as good places to be?"
- "Through Wilderness Times: Someone to Come Home To," the Rev. Dr. Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2013.
- "Every year on the First Sunday in Lent it is ours to ponder the story of Jesus' Temptation or Testing in the wilderness. What do you hear in Luke's account that may be different from the others? What strikes you on this reading?"
- "The Devil's Hindsight," Alyce M McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2013.
- "All three of Satan's tests tempt Jesus to betray his identity and misuse his power."
- Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours,
Luke 4:1-13, David Ewart, 2013.
- "If Jesus were to turn stones into bread, instead of confirming his status as God's Son, it would confirm the validity of the testing. It would confirm the correctness of asking, 'IF you are...?' The appropriateness of raising the niggling possibility of, 'Maybe you're not?'"
- "No Shortcuts Past the Cross," Andrew Prior, 2013.
- "Led by the Spirit," bethscib, A Thousand Words of Inspiration, 2013.
- "The Devil Tried to Make Me Do It," Russell Rathbun, The Hardest Question, 2013.
- "So, isn't the Devil a hindrance to understanding what evil really is?"
- Comentario del Evangelio por Violeta Rocha Areas, San Lucas 4:1-13, Working Preacher, 2013.
-
Commentary,
Luke 4:1-13, Arland J. Hultgren, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2010.
- "Through baptism, we are called to be obedient and to serve the Lord alone. But our faith is tested in the course of our lives, from birth to death."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
-
Commentary, Kenyatta R. Gilbert, The African American Lectionary,
2009.
- "Through Jesus, we can triumph over any temptation. So that we can discern the active presence of God in times of temptation, we recognize our human limitations and trust in the faithfulness of God to safeguard us from the snare of the one who would have us fail to achieve our divine purposes."
- Exegetical
Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks
Christian Resources.
- "I have seen it happen often in congregations: They strive for mediocrity and usually reach it. Is that succumbing to the temptation to give God less than our best?"
- "No More Shame," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2013.
- "The willingness to acknowledge Jesus or God or anyone besides “me” as sovereign in my soul is a very important first step in finding the freedom to live life with joy and purpose."
-
Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, Progressive Involvement,
2010.
- "Earlier, Luke had referred to the kingdoms of the world according to xronos time. In a final comment in this lection, Luke will use the word kairos, which is not chronological time, but "special time." The exact phrase is axri kairou."
-
"First
Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages in the Lectionary,"
Lent 1,
William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
- "Wilderness was the wild place, the waiting place, the place of preparation. It also connected then, as it does now, to very basic spirituality: a place to grapple with God, a place to learn dependence on nature and its provisions, a place of extremes or contrasts, of wild beasts and desert. It is the Lenten space par excellence."
-
First
Look, Luke 4:1-13, Lee Koontz, Reflectious, 2010.
- "Undoubtedly, it should shock us into the realization that simply being able to quote scripture does not guarantee a correct position, nor does it guarantee that we are quoting it faithfully. The question here for us is not whether we are able to quote scripture to support a particular position or doctrine, but rather whether or not we approach scripture as Jesus entered the wilderness: led by the Spirit."
-
"Glory, Kingdom, Power,"
Mary Hinkle, Pilgrim Preaching:
Keeping Company with Biblical Texts and the People Who Hear and Preach Them.
- "Quoting scripture and praying is not a complicated way of ringing for a cosmic bellhop. It is a way of being in a relationship with One whom we do not need to 'put to the test.'"
-
"The Biggest Temptation of All," Peter Woods, I Am Listening,
2010.
- "And through these forty days we pray to see that the quick fix for ourselves and others, is the biggest temptation of all..."
-
"From
Ashes to Fire," guest essay by Nora Gallagher.
The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with
Jesus Foundation.
- "I once asked a friend of mine who is a therapist how to stop projecting onto others my own fears and weakness, that is, how to love, and she said: 'You must enlarge your capacity to suffer.'"
-
"The Temptation,"
Gospel Analysis, Sermons from
Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
- "Each person has points of vulnerability to the power of evil."
-
Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion,
Luke 4:1-13, Wesley White. "A place of
conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
Part 2.
- "O how many opportune times there are for compromising just a bit on matters of expansive love, specific justice, and desired peace."
-
"First Sunday in Lent: Luke 4:1-13," For the Renewal of Repentance: The
Lukan Texts for Lent, Gary M. Simpson, Texts in Context, Word & World,
Luther Northwestern Theological School, 1992.
- "As Reinhold Niebuhr has succinctly noted, there arises a 'new peril of evil on every new level of the good' (The Nature and Destiny of Man, vol. 2, p. 316."
- Laterally Luke, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
-
"Jesus
is Tempted," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible
Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
- "Large congregations, powerful charismatic ministries, hype and energy, 'signs and wonders', are the surefire elements to gain recognition and succeed in the church-building game. We put the Lord to the test when we forget that he builds his church."
-
"When
the Devil Had Finished Every Temptation,"
Jerry Goebel, One
Family Outreach. "Focus on scripture from a justice perspective." Exegesis, study, and teen study
and activities.
- "Jesus knew every and all of our trials to their fullest extent. He experienced all our emptiness to its fullest depth. He took all of our sin with all of its horror and rather than run or recoil he said; 'Father forgive them, they know not what they do.'"
-
"The Testing of
Jesus," Expository Essay, Luke 4:1-13, Dr. William R. Long.
Part 2.
- "...now that he has endured the test, as anyone knows who has faced extreme tests in life, he is clothed with new strength, boldness and confidence. He, as well as we, will need it as the days of Lent (and his public ministry) unfold."
-
"Settling
for Less," Barbara Brown Taylor, The
Christian Century, 1998.
- "That hollowness we sometimes feel is not a sign of something gone wrong. It is the holy of holies inside of us, the uncluttered throne room of the Lord our God. Nothing on earth can fill it, but that does not stop us from trying. Whenever we start feeling too empty inside, we stick our pacifiers into our mouths and suck for all we are worth. They do not nourish us, but at least they plug the hole."
-
"God
Can Take the Heat (Mark 1:9-11, Luke 4:1-13)," John C. Purdy.
Chapter 2 of God With a Human Face (1993), republished at Religion
Online.
- "Perhaps Jesus was tempted with the option of a normal life. Perhaps, like Goethe's Faust, he was tempted with adventure, beauty, economic power, endless excitement. The Gospel story seems to invite us to regard the final three temptations as a kind of final exam, covering all the other temptations that have been encountered in the course of the forty days."
- Lectionary
Commentary and Preaching Paths (Lent C1), by Jirair Tashjian, at The
Christian Resource Institute.
- ". It is doubtful whether the devil would have suggested that Jesus turn the stone to bread had Jesus not been hungry. The source of our temptations is almost always our own legitimate, normal, natural desires. The desire for food, sexual intimacy, approval of others is not from the devil. These are wholesome, normal, legitimate desires. How do they become sinful?"
-
"Proclaiming the Righteous Reign of Jesus: Luke 4 and the Justice of God,"
David L. Tiede, Texts in Context, Word & World,
Luther Northwestern Theological School, 1987.
- "The platform of Jesus' mission and the content of his call to discipleship are filled with God's passion for the outcast, the poor, the oppressed, and the lost."
-
"For
Self? Or, For Others?' Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic
Resource for This Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family
Activity, Support Materials.
- "When is pride acceptable in others? When is it unacceptable?"
-
"Not Settling for Pleasure," Lent 1,
Fr. Gerry Pierse, C.Ss.R., from Sundays Into
Silence: Reflections on the Sunday Gospels in the Light of Christian
Meditation. Claretian Publications.
- "If we know where our strong points are we will also know where our weaknesses lie."
-
"Easy Affirmations," Hal W.
LeMert, Jr.. The Christian Century, 2001.
Religion Online.
- "If we test for what we know or envision, then the god we discover will be only the size of our certainties, and as dead as our faith. Resurrection invites us into the mystery of creation and into the presence of the living God. In that place, even death itself is not a certainty."
- Commentary,
Luke 4:1-13, Scott Shauf, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2013.
- Articles & Background:
- "Temptation of Christ," wikipedia.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Achtemeier, Paul J.,
"Enigmatic Bible Passages: It's the Little Things that Count,"
Biblical Archaeologist, 1983.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Danker, Frederick W., "Politics of the New Age
according to St Luke," Currents in Theology and Mission, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Downing, F. Gerald,
"Psalms and the Baptist," Journal for the Study of the New Testament,
2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Eisenbise, Debra L.,
"The Desert: Wilderness of Transformation," Brethren Life and Thought,
2005. Sermon.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Garlington, Don B.,
"Jesus, the Unique Son of God: Tested and Faithful," Bibliotheca
Sacra, 1994.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hays, Richard B.,
"Clinging to the Word," The Christian Century, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hester, David C.,
"Luke 4:1-13, Expository Article," Interpretation, 1977.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hornik, Heidi J., "The Baptism of Christ and
Temptations by Michele Tosini: A Lukan Reading," Interpretation,
2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Jodock, Darrell,
"Antidote for Temptation," The Christian Century, 1995.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Johnson, E. Elizabeth, "Temptation," Journal for
Preachers, 2004. (Sermon on Matthew 4:1-11)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Jones, J. Estill,
"The Temptation Narrative," Review & Expositor, 1956.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Kesich, Veselin,
"Christ's Temptation in the Apocryphal Gospels and Acts,"
St Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly, 1961.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Kesich, Veselin,
"Hypostatic and Prosopic Union in the Exegesis of Christ's Temptation,"
St Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly, 1965.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Kirk, Alan,
"Some Compositional Conventions of Hellenistic Wisdom Texts and the
Juxtaposition of 4:1-13; 6:20b-49; and 7:1-10 in Q," Journal of
Biblical Literature, 1997.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Koyama, Kosuke,
"'Not by Bread Alone...' How Does Jesus Free and Unite Us?"
Ecumenical Review, 1975.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Lemert, Hal W., Jr.,
"Easy Affirmations," The Christian Century, 2001.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Morse, Christopher,
"The Temptations of Jesus," Living Pulpit, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Sahl, Joseph G.,
"The Impeccability of Jesus Christ," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1983.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Saunders, Daniel J.,
S.J.,
"The Devil and the Divinity of Christ," Theological Studies,
1948.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Schiavo, Luigi,
"The Temptation of Jesus: The Eschatological Battle and the New Ethic of the
First Followers of Jesus in Q," Journal for the Study of the New
Testament, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Simmons, Elizabeth McGregor,
"The Sense of Text: An Invitation to Lenten Preaching," Journal for
Preachers, 2004.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Simpson, Gary M.,
"For the Renewal of Repentance: The Lukan Texts for Lent," Word &
World, 1992.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Taylor, Arch. B., Jr.,
"Decision in the Desert: The Temptation of Jesus in the Light of
Deuteronomy," Interpretation, 1960.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Taylor, Barbara Brown,
"Settling for Less," The Christian Century, 1998.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Taylor, N.H.,
"The Temptation of Jesus on the Mountain: A Palestinian Christian Polemic
against Agrippa I," Journal for the Study of the New Testament,
2001.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Tiede, David L.,
"Proclaiming the Righteous Reign of Jesus: Luke 4 and the Justice of God,"
Word & World, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Achtemeier, Paul J.,
"Enigmatic Bible Passages: It's the Little Things that Count,"
Biblical Archaeologist, 1983.
- Reviews:
- Sermons:
- "Dress Rehearsal in the Desert," the Rev. Brian Erickson, Day 1 2013.
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot -- Sermon for Lent 1 based on Luke 4:1-13 by Frank Ramirez from SermonSuite.
- "The Wilderness Exam," the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, Day 1, 2010.
- "Temptations and Triumphs of Ministry," Kenneth L. Carder, Duke Divinity School's Faith & Leadership, 2010.
- "What Will We Choose?" the Rev. Dr. James B. Lemler, Day 1, 2007.
- "Satan Sunday," "Isadore Isaac Isin," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- "Sugar Cookies, Ice Cream and Popcorn," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- "In the Thick of Temptation!" John Jewell, 1998.
- Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist,"
Commentary and Homily:
- Lent 1, 2010
- Lent 1, 2007
- Lent 1, 2001, Dr. Mary G. Durkin
- With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Lent 1, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2013.
- "Children's Literature: A Resource for Ministry," February 17, 2013, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Connections: Luke 4:1-13 and Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton.
- "The Temptation of Jesus," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
- "It Is Written!" The Children's Chapel.
- "Jesus Says No to the Devil," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
- "What Did Jesus Do?" children's sermon, coloring page. Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons 4 Kids.
- Luke 4:10, memory verse activity, MSSS Crafts and Resources for Bible Stories.
- Drama:
- "Beneath the Desert Sun," from A Certain Jesus by Jose Ignacio and Maria Lopez Vigil. Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel. Claretian Publications.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art, Luke 4:7, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
- Clip Art Images: Luke 4:1-13, Luke 4:1-13 #2, Temptation of Jesus, Temptation of Jesus #2, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
- Luke 4:1-13, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora, Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use these for free.")
- Luke 4:1-13 at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
- Clip Art: Satan Tempts Jesus, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
- Commercial Site: "Tempted by the Devil," visual liturgy, The Work of the People.
- Hymns and Music:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Our Lord, You Were Sent, original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette to the tune of FOUNDATION 11.11.11.11 ("How Firm a Foundation").
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Find Worship Resources & Suggested Other Readings for use with this text:
- Study Links for the Temptation Narratives in the Other Synoptic Gospels:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Luke
