JESUS IS TEMPTED IN THE WILDERNESS
the flesh and the spirit.
Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death. For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit…. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies…. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
children of god through adoption.
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
destiny of glory.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God… that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now…. For in hope we were saved….
god’s indomitable love in christ.
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,… If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for…It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things,* nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
REFLECTION
In Romans Chapter 8, St. Paul gives us a choice to live according to the flesh or to live according to the spirit. We are afterall body and soul (spirit), made in likeness of God by virtue of our intellect and will.
Those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh. According to Scripture, there are three disordered human desires, pleasure, possession, and pride.(Temptations)
The New Testament refers to them as the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. 1 John 2:16. The word “lust” in English normally refers to a disordered desire for sexual pleasure; in Greek, it can refer to any disordered “craving.”
In the book of Genesis, the woman Eve saw the apple was good for food, a delight to the eyes, desired to possess it and the serpent said it would make her wise as God. (pride of life). The collateral damage of Eve was sharing it with Adam. In the New Testament, Jesus faced the same temptations in the wilderness, fortunately with different results.
The devil tempts Jesus with pleasure of eating, the desire to possess glory and power over all the kingdoms of this world, and the pride of exalting himself over everyone with the miracle of jumping off the pinnacle of the temple.
Whereas Adam and Eve gave in to the temptations to pleasure, possessions, and pride, and brought sin and death into the world, Jesus triumphs over all three. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19
Sin is never just personal. Sin causes collateral damage and weakens the Mystical Body of Christ. There are consequences to our disordered desires. Irreparable suffering and brokenness results from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life. Just think of damaged caused to families and society on the whole of drunkenness, adultery, theft, uncontrolled ambition, exploitation of the vulnerable, wars and threats of wars.
We need only look into our own hearts. There, we will quickly discover our own disordered cravings for pleasure, possessions, and selfish pride.
Jesus gives his disciples three spiritual exercises that are remedies for the triple lust that dwells in every human heart. Consider the following: fasting from pleasure, almsgiving to share with others, and humble prayer, especially during this Lenten season.
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God… if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8
Fortunately for us, we are not just heirs of the flesh but thanks to Jesus our Savior, we are reborn in the spirit, as adopted children. if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8
Paul speaks of the glory that awaits us who persevere. There is no suffering now that can compare to the glory that awaits the faithful. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now…. For in hope we were saved…
If God is for us, who can be against us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword. We need to pray, and reflect into the deep (duc in altum) Luke 5:4 what in our life may separate us from the love of Christ.
LUST OF THE FLESH
the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:3-4
LUST OF THE EYES (POSSESSION)
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world…And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them…If thou therefore wilt worship me…And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Luke 4:5-8
PRIDE OF LIFE
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee…And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Luke 4:9-12