Luke - Bible Claret

The Test in the Desert

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he returned from the Jordan, the Spirit guided him into the desert,

where the devil tempted him for forty days. He did not eat anything during that time, and eventually he was hungry.

The devil then said to him:

“If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into bread.”

But Jesus answered:

“Scripture says:

One does not live on bread alone.”

Then the devil took him up to a high mountain and showed him, in an instant, all the kingdoms of the world.

And he said to Jesus:

“I can give you authority over all the nations, and their wealth will be yours; for authority and wealth have been given to me, and I can give them to anyone I want.

All this will be yours if you worship me.”

But Jesus replied:

“Scripture says:

You shall worship the Lord your God and him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil took him up to Jerusalem and set him on the highest wall of the temple; and he said:

“If you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here;

for it is written:

God will order his angels to take care of you;

and again:

They will hold you in their hands, lest you hurt your foot on the stones.”

But Jesus replied:

“It is written:

You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

When the devil had exhausted every way to tempt Jesus, he left him to return another time.

Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit, and when he returned to Galilee, news about him spread throughout the entire region.

He started teaching in the synagogues of the Jews, and everyone praised him.

When Jesus arrived in Nazareth, where he had grown up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did.

He stood up to read, and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

He has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

to proclaim liberty to captives,

and give sight to the blind;

to free the oppressed;

and to announce

the Lord’s year of mercy.”

Jesus then rolled up the scroll, handed it to the attendant, and sat down; everyone’s eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.

Then he said to them:

“Today, these prophetic words are coming true right before your eyes.”

Everyone agreed with him and ware amazed as he spoke of God’s grace. Still, they asked, “Who is this but Joseph’s Son?”

So he replied, “Doubtless you will quote me the saying: Doctor, heal yourself! Do here, in your town, what they say you did in Capernaum.”

Jesus added:

“No prophet is honored in his own country.

Truly, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel during the days of Elijah when the sky was shut and there was no rain for three years and six months, and a severe famine spread across the land.

Yet, Elijah was not sent to any of them but to a widow in Zarephath, in the land of Sidon.

There were also many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them were healed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Upon hearing these words, the entire crowd became angry.

They stood up and took him out of the town, heading to the edge of the hill where Nazareth is located, planning to throw him off the cliff.

But he moved through their midst and continued on his way.

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and started teaching the people at the Sabbath gatherings.

They were amazed at how he taught them because his words were spoken with authority.

In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted loudly:

“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.”

Then Jesus said to him sharply:

“Be silent and leave this man!”

The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without harming him.

Amazement overwhelmed all these people, and they said to one another:

“What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!”

And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him to do something for her.

Bending over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately, she got up and started serving them.

At sunset, people suffering from various illnesses were brought to Jesus. He laid his hands on each one and healed them.

demons were cast out, howling as they went, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out to find him, and when they did, they tried to persuade him not to leave.

But he said, “I have to go to other towns to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do.”

And Jesus kept on preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Commentaries

4:1 - 4:13

The Trial in the Desert.

The temptations, as described by Luke, are directly tied to Jesus’ messianic calling. He does not choose the easy way to fulfill his mission but instead submits to the will of the Father, which always respects human freedom and dignity. This path inevitably involves suffering, misunderstanding, pain, dedication, and ongoing service.

4:14 - 4:30

Begins His Proclamation – In the Synagogue of Nazareth.

The Holy Spirit and the Word are the sparks that ignite the fire of Jesus’ mission. However, other aspects will always be present, as Luke reveals in this passage: rejection, which initially begins as sympathy and admiration but later turns into antipathy caused by doubt about his person (22) and his power (23); and subsequent hostility (28ff), which prompts him to declare the universality of his mission: if the people of Israel reject it, others who are not Israelites will be willing to accept it.

4:31 - 4:37

Teaches and Cast Out Demons in Capernaum.

We must assume that the hostility of the unclean spirit stems from Jesus’ teachings, which are none other than those he already proclaimed in the synagogue of Nazareth: “The Good News to the poor, freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, liberation to the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor” (4:18ff). The demon, who can represent the attitude of any believer, is also capable of declaring his faith, knowing Jesus, and defining him as “sent,” “anointed,” “Messiah” of God (34:41); but is that enough? Shouldn’t there be a radical change of life from the moment someone knows Jesus and hears his word?

4:38 - 4:44

Heals and Casts Out Demons Around the House – Prayer and Mission of Jesus.

For Jesus, the individual is the primary place where the kingdom is experienced, which is why he heals and exorcises. The people of Capernaum want to keep him there, but he must go elsewhere because that is why he came—to bring the Good News of the kingdom to all the poor. Jesus is not the “property” of anyone, nor is he exclusive to any group or location. His message of salvation is universal and open to all who accept it. And his disciples must share the same attitude as the Teacher.