10MAR2019 | Knowing is NOT Understanding | First Sunday in Lent

As we continue our Lenten Journey in the gospels on this First Sunday of Lent, we come to a passage from Luke that, at first blush, may seem rather familiar to some. However, as we know from our understanding of Christian tradition, every time we encounter the sacred texts, there is something different in our reading and understanding, for we are never the same person as we were the last time we encountered a text.

This passage from Luke is often, and quite rightly, referred to as the temptation of Christ. Indeed, it is quite obvious the devil knows the sacred texts of the faith fairly well...but Christ shows that knowledge of the texts is not synonymous with understanding the words of faith.

Understanding we are in a season of self-reflection, sacrifice, and prayerful study, this week the text will challenge us all to not reflect so much on the back-and-forth that Jesus has with the devil; rather, we may just discover our own need to be sure not to rest solely on knowing what the scriptures say (although that is VERY important) but also seek to understand the scriptures so that we may live more faithfully in Christ.