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Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 4:

So far in Luke’s Gospel, Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, Simeon, and John the Baptist have all been filled with the Holy Spirit (1:15, 35, 41, 67, 2:25–27), and now Jesus, returning from John’s Jordan River baptism site, is “full of the Holy Spirit''--the Evil One is about to start to taste defeat (vs. 1, 13-14). Jesus uses the inspired Sacred Scriptures to refute the Evil Accuser’s insinuations that God has not already given him the full power and authority of a Son--a reversal of the temptation that Jesus’ human ancestors, Adam and Eve, succumbed to (vs. 2-11). Then Jesus proclaims and preaches the Sacred Scriptures in a Jewish sabbath liturgy (vs. 16-21). His words filled with God’s grace (vs. 22) cause wonder--and then anger--because they are God’s grace for all people, not just Israel (vs. 28-30). Continuing to synagogues in Capernaum and across Judea, Jesus teaches and heals with authority. The “good news of the kingdom of God'' has arrived! (vs. 43).

The Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 4:

The Temptation of Jesus

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jor­dan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is writ­ten, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the king­doms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been deliv­ered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Je­sus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord
your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written,
‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’
11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temp­tation, he departed from him un­til an opportune time.

Jesus Begins Preaching and Teaching in Galilee

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, be­ing glorified by all.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as was his custom, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hear­ing.” 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physi­cian, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Caperna­um, do here also in your own country.’ ” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many wid­ows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

31 And he went down to Caperna­um, a city of Galilee.
And he was teaching them on the sabbath; 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, say­ing, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one an­ other, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And re­ ports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Healings at Simon’s House

38 And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-­in­-law was ill with a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them.
40 Now when the sun was set­ ting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not al­ low them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues of Judea
42 And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preach­ing in the synagogues of Judea.

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

Lord, the devil tempted you tempted you with various temptations. What are the temptations that I'm faced with in my own life right now? Show me what truths you want speak into the temptations and please give my grace to overcome them like you did.

Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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