The Temptation of Jesus

January 5, 2015

The Temptation of Jesus

A reading from the Gospel of Saint Luke 4, 1 – 13:

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.'” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'”
Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “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 ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”
Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

I celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord on Sunday January 4. This is the day that the three Magi came to Jerusalem to worship the Child Jesus and to offer Him great gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This day tells us that Jesus did not come just to save the Jews but all the people of the world. So we are all called to believe in Jesus as Our Savior and Lord and to love Him and one another and to follow what Jesus has told us. Jesus has opened heaven for us but we must walk with Him if we wish to be in heaven one day.

Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,

“Come My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters and follow Me in a spiritual way in the desert where I spent forty days. My brother Melvin you came to Israel and you spent a full day in the desert in the area where I was. You saw the cave where I slept at night and you saw the barren place that the desert is. There is nothing to eat there and nobody lives there. I stayed there for forty days praying to My Heavenly Father and contemplating Him with all My heart. He told Me all that would happen during My public life and all that I should do as His Son who loves Him. I did not eat nor drink anything during those days. However, it was a beautiful time before the beginning of My public life. It is true that the devil came three times to tempt Me. The first temptation was to change a rock into a loaf of bread. I refused because the gift of doing miracles was not to be used for My own purpose but for the people I came to save. Then He took me to a high mountain and showed Me all the Kingdoms of the world and these were all in his hands and he was ready to give them all to Me if I would kneel and worship him the devil. I refused because we are called to worship God alone and never the devil. Then he brought Me to the top of the Temple in Jerusalem and told Me to throw Myself down and the angels would take care of Me. I told him that one should never put the Lord to the test. We are to obey God and not to test Him. After that the devil left. As you see I never agreed even once to what the devil told Me and how I wish that all of you would do the same. Call on Me every day for the graces you need to say “no” to the devil as I did. I want you all to be as strong as I am. I bless you all.”

Father Melvin

P.S. We got a little bit of snow on the Feast of the Epiphany and we expect rain this evening and it should take away most of the snow.