“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” Luke 4:1-2
Jesus was gone for almost two months. I tried to pretend that I was not worried. I said my prayers daily, and I entrusted Him to the Lord. I knew that God was taking care of our Son, wherever He was. But the not knowing for me, was the worst. I asked everyone that returned from visiting John the Baptist in the desert, but no one had seen my Son. No one knew of His whereabouts.
The neighbors asked me about Him. After Jacob had returned, the rumors about Jesus being the awaited Messiah spread like wildfire. Some of our neighbors were happy, but others looked at me with contempt. Everywhere I went, I knew that Jesus was the topic of conversation because people would grow silent as I approached them, while others taunted me to see if I would reveal anything to them.
My days while I waited for Jesus to return seemed interminable. Every corner of the house reminded me of Him. Whenever I went down to the town, and I walked by the closed shop, I became nostalgic. Going for a walk through the valley without Him felt very lonely.
Finally, one day, as I sat by the window sewing, I saw a tall man in a white tunic coming up the hill. My heart jumped, and I ran to meet Him.
“Jesus!”
“Mother!”
The entire universe was contained in the hug that we gave each other.
We sat outside to talk. He told me that after He met with John, He knew that His hour had arrived. He felt the Holy Spirit leading Him into the wilderness, where He spent forty days and forty nights. It was a time of preparation for His mission. He told me that He fasted during this time. I could not imagine how He could have survived for so long without any food, but He must have read my mind because He told me that His strength came from His father in heaven, and He didn’t feel the need for food.
He also shared with me that He had been tempted by the devil. He said that it happened at the end of the forty days, when He began to feel very hungry. He told me that the devil appeared to Him and said: “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” (1)
“What did You answer him, Son?”
Jesus told me that He answered the devil: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (2)
“Did he leave You alone after that?”
“Unfortunately not. He led (Me) up and showed (Me) all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to (Me), ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.’ (I) answered him, ‘It is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”’” (3)
“Was that sufficient for him to go away?”
“No, he led (Me) to Jerusalem and had (Me) stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to (Me), ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,” and, “On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.”’ And I answered and said to him, ‘It is said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”’” (4)
“Did he continue to tempt You after You said that to him?”
“No, after that, he finally left Me. But I know, Mother, that this is just the beginning.”
Jesus told me that we would both suffer a lot, but in the end, the light would triumph over the darkness. He said that His mission was about to start, and therefore, He was not planning to reopen the shop. He was going to offer it to some relatives to see if they were interested in taking over.
I told Him that Sarah was getting married in a few days. “Will You stay for the wedding, Son? It will be in Cana, where the groom is from. You know that Sarah is like a daughter to me. It would not be the same if You are not there.”
Jesus smiled. “Don’t worry, Mother. Tomorrow, I am leaving again to meet my disciples. I already have five disciples that want to embark on this mission with me. But I promise you that I will return for the wedding.”
I kissed His hands and I leaned my head on His shoulder. While we talked, the sun had set. Nazareth looked like a silver tray under the light of the moon. For a moment, I thought that we were in the desert, on our way to Egypt, and that it was His little head the one that leaned on my shoulder. But thirty years have passed, and now time was going to get on our way and separate us. But for tonight, He was mine.
Reflection:
Jesus was tempted by the devil in His moment of weakness. Have I ever felt tempted by the devil? How did I respond?
Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
References:
- Luke 4:3
- Luke 4:4
- Luke 4:5-8
- Luke 4:9-12
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