I always thought today’s Gospel shows how Jesus was tempted to be a Messiah in a way that matched human expectations—those of Jews waiting for a messiah—instead of doing what his Father wanted. But I also wonder if these temptations are what we expect of God.
Do we expect God to provide for our needs by turning stones into money? God does help us with our troubles, but usually by giving us the strength to get through them with our God-given abilities. This might mean finding a better job that uses more of our talents. It might be forgiving us if we are the cause of our own troubles and giving us the courage to start over.
Or do we expect God to bring peace to the world by instantly removing all nuclear weapons or capturing all terrorists? When we pray for peace, we could pray that God show us what we can do to bring that peace. We could be generous in giving to the poor, especially where poverty is the cause of war.
Maybe we expect God to be a superhero for us, strengthening our faith with spectacular miracles. Jesus would tell us the same thing he told the devil: “Don’t put the Lord your God to the test” (see Luke 4:12). Instead, as we take time to pray over the scriptures, read spiritual books, and share our faith with others, we will find our faith growing and know that the Lord has been with us all along the way.
Tom Schmidt , Diocesan Publications