{"id":28682,"date":"2026-02-16T03:54:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T03:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=28682"},"modified":"2026-02-16T04:09:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T04:09:28","slug":"the-desert-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=28682","title":{"rendered":"The Desert Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Deuteronomy 6-8 provides the essential background to Matthew\u2019s account of the testing of Jesus told in the\u00a0Gospel<\/strong>\u00a0(4:1-11). As God\u2019s covenant people, Israel could expect to receive protection and food (manna) from God during her forty-year sojourn in the desert of Sinai before entrance into the promised land. Israel was not to put God to the test by trying to force God\u2019s hand in these areas.

The three temptations the devil puts to Jesus take up each area in turn: food, protection, possession of the land (understood now as lordship of the entire world). In all three areas God has allowed the Son to be placed in a situation of test. Citing texts from Deuteronomy, Jesus dismisses the suggestion in each case, displaying complete trust in the goodness and providence of the Father. The lordship of the world, a shortcut to which Satan dangled before him, will in fact be given to him as risen Lord, following his obedient death upon the cross for the redemption of the world (Matt 28:18; see also Phil 2:8-11).

The Lenten liturgy and observance invite Christians to share something of the \u2018desert\u2019 experience of Christ, to go a little beyond our comfort zones in some areas, in order to enter more deeply into the relationship with the Father that is his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr Brendan Byrne SJ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deuteronomy 6-8 provides the essential background to Matthew\u2019s account of the testing of Jesus told in the\u00a0Gospel\u00a0(4:1-11). As God\u2019s covenant people, Israel could expect to receive protection and food (manna) from God during her forty-year sojourn in the desert of Sinai before entrance into the promised land. Israel was not to put God to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":28686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[38,45,26,44,24,55,8,32,50,41,25,51,34,54,47,31,42,39,48,46,52,40,37,35,28,43,53,36,27,33,29],"class_list":["post-28682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","tag-ancient-wisdom","tag-contemplative-prayer","tag-enlightenment","tag-guided-meditation","tag-inner-peace","tag-introspection","tag-lectio-divina","tag-lectio-divina-for-beginners","tag-life-transformation","tag-meditation-guide","tag-meditation-mastery","tag-meditation-tips","tag-mindfulness","tag-mindfulness-meditation","tag-mindfulness-practices","tag-mindfulness-techniques","tag-personal-development","tag-reflect-and-transform","tag-reflective-living","tag-sacred-reading","tag-self-discovery","tag-self-help","tag-soulful-journey","tag-soulful-living","tag-spiritual-awakening","tag-spiritual-growth","tag-spiritual-guide","tag-spiritual-insights","tag-spiritual-practice","tag-spiritual-reflection","tag-transformative-journey"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t