Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 4:1-11)
Domingo (Marso 9)
Dayon si Jesus gindala sang Espiritu sa desierto agod sulayon sang Yawa.
Sa tapos ang 40 ka adlaw kag 40 ka gab-i nga pagpuasa, si Jesus gingutom.
Ang Yawa nagpalapit sa iya kag nagsiling, "Kon ikaw ang Anak sang Dios, sugoa ining mga bato nga mangintinapay."
Si Jesus nagsabat, "Ang kasulatan nagasiling, 'Indi lamang sa tinapay mabuhi ang tawo, kundi sa tagsa ka pulong nga ginahambal sang Dios.' "
Dason gindala sang Yawa si Jesus sa Balaan nga Siyudad kag ginpatindog sa pinakamataas nga bahin sang templo, kag nagsiling ang Yawa sa iya, "Kon ikaw ang Anak sang Dios lukso ka paidalom, kay ang kasulatan nagasiling,
'Ang Dios magasugo sa iya mga anghel
Sa pagbantay sa imo;
Bayawon ka nila sa ila mga kamot
Agod nga indi makasandad
Ang imo mga tiil sa mga bato.' "
Si Jesus nagsabat, "Pero ang kasulatan nagasiling man, 'Indi mo pagsulayon ang Ginoo nga imo Dios.' "
Dason gindala pa gid sang Yawa si Jesus sa isa ka mataas nga bukid, kag ginpakita sa iya ang tanan nga mga ginharian sang kalibutan kag ang ila kadayawan.
Ang Yawa nagsiling, "Ini tanan ihatag ko sa imo kon magluhod ka kag magsimba sa akon."
Si Jesus nagsabat, "Palayo ka, Satanas! Ang kasulatan nagasiling, 'Magsimba ka sa Ginoo nga imo Dios, kag sia lamang ang imo alagaron!' "
Dayon ang Yawa nagbiya kay Jesus, kag ang mga anghel nag-abot kag nag-alagad sa iya.
Prayers:
"Lord Jesus, your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may have the strength and courage to embrace your will in all things and to renounce whatever is contrary to it."
***
Reflection of the Daily Gospel:
Are you ready to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he wishes to lead you? After Jesus' was baptized by John the Baptist at the River Jordan, he withdrew into the wilderness of Judea - a vast and mostly uninhabitable wilderness full of danger. Danger from scorching heat by day and extreme cold at night, danger from wild animals and scorpions, plus the deprivation of food and the scarcity of water.
Why did Jesus choose such a barren, lonely place for an intense and long period of sustained prayer and fasting? Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us in their Gospel accounts that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Mark states it most emphatically: "The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness" (Mark 1:12). What compelled Jesus to seek solitude, away from his family and friends, for such a lengthy period? Was it simply a test to prepare him for his mission? Or did Satan want to lure him into a trap? The word tempt in English usually means to entice someone to do what is wrong or forbidden. The scriptural word used here also means test in the sense of proving and purifying someone to see if there are ready for the task at hand. We test flight pilots to see if they are fit to fly under all conditions, including times of adverse turbulence, storms, and poor visibility. In like manner God tests his people to see if they are ready to follow and serve him without reservation or compromise.
Encountering God face to face
On many occasions God tested Abraham to prove his faith and to strengthen his hope in the promises that God made to him. Abraham obeyed willingly even when God asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac, the son of promise. When the Israelites were sorely tested in Egypt for more than 400 years, they did not forget God. They kept God's word and remembered his promise to save them. When God called Moses to free the Israelites from captivity in Egypt, God led them into the wilderness to his holy mountain at Sinai. There Moses ascended the mountain and met with God face to face for 40 days in prayer and fasting (Exodus 24:18). The prophet Elijah was also led on a 40 day journey to the holy mountain at Sinai to seek the face of God. God sustained Elijah with bread from heaven (1 Kings 19:8).
Jesus was no exception to this pattern of testing and preparation with prayer and fasting. He was led into the wilderness for 40 days without food or shelter to seek the face of his heavenly Father. When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Paradise, he supplied them with everything they needed for abundant life and happiness with him. But when they listened to the voice of evil and followed the counsel of the serpent, who is the devil, they doubted God's word and disobeyed his command They fell because they trusted in themselves rather than in God (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6). They were cast out of Paradise and driven into the wilderness. Jesus now freely enters the wilderness in order to regain Paradise for the lost children of God. Jesus refuses food to show his dependence on the bread of heaven, the word of God, that would sustain him not only in his physical hunger, but in his hour of temptation as well. When Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus replies with the words of Scripture, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (quote from Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
Where did Jesus find the strength to survive the desert's harsh conditions and the tempter's seduction? He fed on God's word and found strength in doing his Father's will. Satan will surely tempt us and he will try his best to get us to choose our will over God's will. If he can't make us renounce our faith or sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices that will lead us, little by little, away from what God wants for us.
Strength from God in resisting temptation
Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame sin not by his own human effort but by the grace and strength which his Father gave to him. He had to renounce his will for the will of his Father. He succeeded because he wanted to please his Father and he trusted that his Father would give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in the way. Luke says that Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1). When tempted by the devil Jesus did not try to fight his adversary on his own human strength. He relied on the power which the Spirit gave him. Jesus came to overthrow the evil one who held us captive to sin and fear of death (Hebrews 2:14). His obedience to his Father's will and his willingness to embrace the cross reversed the curse of Adam's disobedience. His victory over sin and death won for us not only pardon for our sins but adoption as sons and daughters of God.
How can we overcome sin and gain freedom over our unruly desires and the lies of Satan and the world? The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and consoler in temptation and testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace to the humble who acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) and he helps us to stand against the lies and attacks of our enemy, Satan, who seeks to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the strength and courage we need to resist sin and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to "fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power and strength which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you rely on the Lord for your strength and help?
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