Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Luke 4 : 1 - 2

Reading for this week : Luke 4 : 1 - 13

Thought for the week

Not only have we witnessed heart-breaking devastation and the plight of refugees this week in Ukraine, there has also been a war of words. The semantics of whether the crisis is an invasion or a ‘special military operation’. There have been the appeals to the West intensifying to blunt accusations. And the voices of the refugees, where few words are possible, or even needed.

Words are powerful, can be persuasive, can carry deceit or truth.

The devil uses his words to try to cleverly persuade Jesus, even deceive Him. Yet Jesus rebuffs the devil from Scripture. From the living word of truth from God.

Truth about this world. Truth about who Jesus is. Truth about us.

So Jesus draws on the Word. “One does not live by bread alone”. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”.

Lent is a time to take up our Bibles. To read and listen. Let the Lord speak to us. Jesus says, ‘It is Written’. It has been written for us, so we can know the Truth of the Lord’s love for this world amidst the lies, deceit, persuasion. So we can trust in Jesus the Living Word, who is the Truth.

Rev Paul

A Prayer for this week

Heavenly Father,

your Son battled with the powers of darkness,

and grew closer to you in the desert:

help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

that we may witness your saving love

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen