Today is the First Sunday of Lent. All three synoptic Gospels portray Jesus’ ministry beginning with a period of forty days in the wilderness tempted by Satan. Both Matthew and Luke describe three of the temptations experienced. Each of these three temptations challenges Jesus to adopt a model of Messiahship which would win power and wide public appeal, and not lead to the inevitable cross on Good Friday. In the second of the temptations described by Luke (the third in Matthew’s order) Jesus contemplates the opportunity of commanding worldly fame and power.
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of celebrities. In today’s picture from his book, Music Makers, Teddy Horsley feels that he too has become a celebrity with his performance on the drums.
Lord Jesus Christ,
When you were tempted to follow false gods.
you refused to be led astray.
Keep us loyal to our faith in the true God,
that we may never give to others
the worship due to you;
now and always.
Amen.
Next week, the Second Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading begins to prepare us for Holy Week and Good Friday. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is crucifix. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.
Prayer Requests
Would you like to submit a prayer request? You can do so through the Prayer for Liverpool website.
Notice Sheet
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Sunday before Lent – Exploring the Sunday Gospel