In Luke 4:1-13, the Gospel reading for last Sunday, we read and heard about the temptations Jesus faced while he was in the wilderness. He was able to respond to each with a rebuttal from Scripture. As well as knowing Scripture, he knew his purpose. When we look at all of the offers, we see they were for bread, kingdoms, power. He was also dared to tempt God. Jesus wasn’t seeking for earthly kingdoms and power. Jesus was a spiritual person and was our model of what it means to be spiritual, to be connected to God.

This reading gives us much to consider about ourselves. what tempts us? How do we avoid temptations (when we do.) What is our purpose? Are we more concerned about the material world or our spiritual connection with the Divine?