Luke 4 Homily
I will keep my ambition in check by only exegeting verses 1-13 of the gospel according to Saint Luke.
Jesus is described as being full of the Holy Spirit. If you are full of the Holy Spirit you can do no wrong. This is mentioned right before Devil (the slanderer of God) engages Him in spiritual combat. To be led by the Spirit means that you have opened up the channels of communication with God through prayer. This is a humbling act, and that's why we shy from it. How easy is it to watch a 3 seasons of a show on Netflix and Hulu Plus? Have we ever spent a tenth of that time in prayer with the God who made the heavens and the earth? To ask it is to answer it.
He was famished. Readers and hearers focus on the miracle of 40 days without food or drink and they zoom right by the miracle of God being famished. This short statement reminds us of humanity of the God-man Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The veritable incarnate word of God. The deity that dwelt amongst us. There is nothing more mystical than God becoming man so that we can become more like God. He was famished. Let those holy words stay in your mind so you can be sanctified by the sweetness of Jesus that is greater than any honey or honeycomb. He was famished.
People forget that the Devil is the ruler of this world. Mansions, political power, plentiful sex with multiple partners. What do you want? Bow to him and he can grant you it. Or, you can select the road to righteousness, obeying the instructions of Jesus Christ. Be humble, stand with the poor and worship the only true God.
To get Jesus to test God the Father, the Devil quotes the holy scriptures. Specifically the psalms. Did he have a Bible in his hands? No. The Devil has the holy scriptures memorized. Do not be astounded by memorized scriptures, but you should know the scriptures. Read them day and night with full preparation and whilst pleading with God for understanding so that no one may deceive you with misinterpretations of the scriptures. Jesus knows the scriptures because He is the Lord of the Sabbath and the hosts. So, He banishes the Devil with the word of God that the Devil slandered. Let no one slander your God. Search the scriptures for Christ and defend the faith. Do so, and you shall offend the world and the ruler of the world.
Furthermore, we must love each other.