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 tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”
Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’
and
‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:1-13 NRSVUE
Lent almost always begins with the story of Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and there meeting the devil.
Jesus meets the devil after he was baptized by John in the Jordan and as the scripture says, was filled by the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus if we take our following of Jesus seriously, like him, there will be times and situations where we will meet different devils (metaphorically) in our journey both as individual Christians and as a church community. And wala tayong choice meron at merong tayong ma-memeet na mga dimunyo sa ating paglalakbay sa buhay. And perhaps sometimes, tayo rin ang nag-uugaling dimunyo paminsan-minsan, hense why we have lent and why the first story of lent is always Jesus meeting the devil. Meron itong gustong palaging ipaalala sa atin.
The original koine Greek word used to refer to devil is the word diabolos used as a noun – The noun form of diabolos may refer to a person or as a supernatural entity. The noun form originates from its verb form and within the Greek-speaking society of Jesus and Paul diabolos as a verb did not always refer to a spirit-entity. Both the verb form and the noun form diabolos were used by regular non-Christian Greek speaking peoples to refer to a person who is a false accuser or the act of slandering.
From Strong’s Lexicon entry 1225 from Biblehub.com it says:
The Greek verb “diaballó” primarily means to slander or accuse someone falsely. Making false statements with the intent to harm another’s reputation. In the New Testament, this term is often associated with malicious gossip or false accusations that can lead to division and strife within communities.
In the Greco-Roman world… The act of “diaballó” was not only a personal attack but could also disrupt the harmony of the community.
But the irony about the devil in the bible is that he actually tells the truth but to use the truth or pieces of truth to harm and accuse. Because the greatest forms of lies and falsehoods are those that have some truth in them, and even if there is no lies, truth – pawang katotohanan – can also be used to harm individuals, communities, and even nations. That’s why the devil has been called the Father of lies. Pero parang inaccurate yun kasi nga nagsasabi pala ng totoo ang dimunyo at magaling sya sap ag-gamit ng katotohan pero ang mas tama title nya ay Father of Manipulation. Kasi, ginagamit ng demonyo ang katotohanan or pieces of truth to cause harm or cause people to do things against what is genuinely good for them.
Here the gospel writer of Luke and also Matthew presents us with the Devil not only as a false accuser but more as a false promiser – Huwad na tagapangako. If gagawin mo ito, ito ang magiging benefit mo. If you only do this thing, you will benefit in this way. If you do what I say, you no longer have to suffer.
This is the temptation of Jesus and perhaps our temptation as humans especially those who have power and position sa ating families, power and position sa ating work or organizaitons, sa mga corporations, and as gobyerno. At least in two of the 3 temptations, the devil quotes scripture to say that it is within the right and power of Jesus to do what the devil is urging him to do.
The so-called temptations or tests of Jesus were what?
1. Feed yourself by turning these stones into bread.
2. Make a spectacular miracle at the center of power and faith – the temple – so that everyone will immediately believe you, accept you, and worship you.
3. Worship me and I will give you all wealth and power of this world since it is mine to give.
One thing I realized is that the power of Jesus to do miracles was never self serving. When he was hungry and thirsty, he will get his food and water like any ordinary human but when others needed it, he performed to produce wine and then to multiply food to feed a so many poor and hungry people. He lives and suffers as a human in every way humans do when it comes to his own life. Not once was there a story where he used his power for personal satisfaction or gain.
Here, the true temptation of the devil is for Jesus to exercise his power for personal gain and to argue at least in two of the temptations, that Jesus has the right and the power to do as the devil suggests. You are the son of God, you have the power to do this, why not benefit from it. It is just bread. Why not save yourself the trouble and struggle, you can jump from the roof of the temple and angels will swoop down to save you so that everyone will see and believe you are indeed God’s son, the long awaited messiah. The 2nd temptation of wealth and global dominance is also a way to benefit Jesus.
If you have own all the material wealth of the world and have dominion over it, you can change the world the way you want it. Will you not sacrifice a few seconds of bowing down and a few words of praise if that would give you the power and dominance to correct everything that is wrong in the world?
BUT, Jesus calmly rejects and pushes back by also quoting scripture, we do not live by bread alone but from every word that comes from God. There is something more and something much bigger to consider than just my personal gain. Because using power for self-interest will never heal or change the world for the better. Worshiping power and dominance have not changed the world before Jesus was born and it will certainly not change the world had Jesus taken the offer of the devil.
Have you encountered this kind of devil in your life or in our Philippine society? Someone who tells you to do something so that you can benefit from it, and would even argue that it is within your power and right to do certain things for your personal gain?
Magbigay kayo sa panginoon para pagpalain kayo ng siksik, liglig, at umaapaw. Ibigay nyo maski ang inyong mga lupa’t bahay. Ibigay nyo hindi lang 10%. Kung kaya nyo ibigay ang 20 to 30% dahil ibabalik yan sa inyo ng panginoon higit pa sa binigay niyo. Give and do something good with the promise that you will gain more. Mag-quote pa sa bible ng mga verses. This kind of twisted theology of prosperity with the use of scripture is demonic.
Iboto nyo pamilya ko ngayong election at pag ginawa nyo yan, ibibigay ko itong lupa sa inyo.
Support us, defend us, vote for us, and keep our family in power, and if you do so, may ayuda kayo from us. Yung mga barangay na may pinaka-mataas na boto para sa akin ang makakareceive ng maraming ayuda at projects pag pasko, pag may sakuna, at pag piyesta.
Kumpadre, halika, tumakbo kang senador – pag senador ka na you will have more resources and government power to help more people. Come and become a Senator. Come and join our senatorial slate, BASTA sa amin ka susunod. Yung mga boto mo at desisyon mo sa senado ay yung sasabihin namin. All these you will have when you become a senator just follow my lead. Just follow my lead is another way of saying, just worship me.
I promise NO MORE DRUGS and DRUG Addicts. I promise that the Philippines will be safest country in South East Asia. Bastat kahit anong sabihin ko at gawin ko, at ng pamilya ko, ako lang ang panginoon nyo. Wag kayo maniniwala sa iba maski dyan sa diyos nyo na stupid. Sabi nung isang government leader dati on live broadcast sabi stupid daw si Hesus, a stupid god.
Ibibigay ko sa inyo ang golden age at ang bente pesos na bigas, basta’t maging loyal lang kayo sa aming pamilya no matter. Loyal lang kayo palagi sa amin kasi magkaprobinsya tayo.
We are in the season of Lent where the first gospel reading for the first Sunday is always about the devil tempting Jesus to do something that will benefit himself. And each time, Jesus rejects the temptation and the offer.
Sino sa inyong buhay at sa ating lipunan noon at ngayon ang nagsasabi sa inyo at nag-ooffer na gumawa kayo ng mga bagay na magbebenfit kayo kahit kapalit ang inyong prinsipyo, kapalit ng kabutihan, at kapalit ng mas tama ngunit mas mahirap na daan?
Naging joke nga sa ating MCC Chat, Jesus balik ka na! – sa lahat ng mga problema natin ngayon sa mundo at sa Pilipinas, ang tanging sagot ay “Balik ka na lang Jesus. Balik ka na, now na!” Because this is the easier and immediately satisfying solution. But perhaps it is not what we really need to change the world. Perhaps our desperate need for saviors is PRECISELY why the world is fucked up because people now have looked to false saviors and voted for them, and up to now support and defend them like the violent turtle and his daughter, the family of thieves back in power, and the orange clown who fancies himself as an absolute monarch.
God wants what is good for us and I know God wants things to be better not just for humanity but for all the earth, but let us resist any the temptation of using power for self-interest and as means to immediately solve everything. Let us also reject many diabolos walking and talking around us offering self-serving promises and asking us to worship them by being mindless loyalists.
True salvation has been shown to us in this way in the life and words of Jesus… love and serve God by loving and serving the people of God which often times means journeying with a few friends and followers, preaching here and there, challenging the powers of this world and being threatened by them. To proclaim Goodnews to the poor and the oppressed, and to organize and mobilize communities and sectors but this requires a lot of effort, time, and sacrifice like what Jesus and early Christians did. And to really save the world is to make disciples of every person so that every person will be willing to be die on a cross than to use violence as a solution. Because if and only when every one of us are willing to die for each other, then no one has to die, and only then the world will know justice and lasting peace. Kung ang bawat isa ay willing ibigay ang kanilang buhay para sa iba, mawawala na ang dahilan para may magbuwis pa ng buhay duon lamang matatamo ang tunay na katarungan at kapayapaan. And when that happens, then Jesus has finally returned and defeated sin, death, and the devil. Amen? In Jesus name, may it be so!
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