Introduction
Today’s gospel tells of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. His forty-day fast becomes the basis of our Lenten pilgrimage. In the early church Lent was a time of intense preparation for those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. This catechetical focus on the meaning of faith is at the heart of our Lenten journey to the baptismal waters of Easter. Hungry for God’s mercy, we receive the bread of life to nourish us for the days ahead.
Readings and Psalm
- Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - Psalm 32
Mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. (Ps. 32:10) - Romans 5:12-19
Death came through one; life comes through one - Matthew 4:1-11
The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days
First Lutheran Church of the Trinity 