Sunday
Luke 19:1-9    on the encounter with Zaccheaus and his repentance

This encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is impossible to man.  Many spiritual interpretations express the universal significance of this encounter. Theophylact sees the crowd symbolizing sins: “Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus.” St. Ambrose sees several This encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is impossible to man. Many spiritual interpretations express the universal significance of this encounter. Theophylact sees the crowd symbolizing sins: “Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus.”

St. Ambrose sees several parallels: (1) Zacchaeus being short is indicative of his being short on faith and virtue; (2) that Zacchaeus must ascend a tree shows no one attached to earthly matters can see Jesus; and (3) the Lord intending to pass that way reveals that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe.  Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes those he had cheated, as this was not a gift but required by the Law . By doing both, Zacchaeus not only fulfills the Law, but shows his love of the gospel. The title son of Abraham indicates Zacchaeus had become like this patriarch of Israel: he was counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God. Early records tell us he went on to be a bishop of the Church.

Monday
Having come to the earth to destroy the works of the devil, the Lord of course could have obliterated them with one breath of His lips, however, it is necessary to remember that the devil’s works had taken root in the delusion of the free human soul, which the Lord had come to save without depriving it of God’s greatest gift — its freedom. The human was created neither as a pawn, nor as a soulless machine or an animal guided by instinct, but as a free and intelligent personality. In relation to the Divinity of Jesus Christ, this temptation appeared as a battle between the spirit of the evil and the Son of God that has come to save the human race, for the preserving of the power over the people with the help of the illusory happiness.

Tuesday

Mainly, the temptation was aimed against Christ’s human nature, over which the devil hoped to extend his influence and deviate it onto the false path. Christ came to the earth in order to establish His Kingdom among the people — God’s Kingdom. There were two paths that led to that: one, which the Jews were longing for, the path of a speedy and dazzling ascension of the Messiah as the world’s King, and the other path — slow and thorny, the path of voluntary moral rebirth of the people, combined with many sufferings not only for the followers of the Messiah, but for Himself. This is exactly what the devil wanted to do – to turn the Lord away from this second path, having attempted to entice Him in a human way with the ease of the first path, which promised no sufferings but only the glory.

Wednesday

In the first place, taking advantage of Christ’s hunger, which was torturing Jesus as a human the devil attempted to convince Him to use His divine power so as to rid Himself of that so hard to bear for every human being feeling of hunger. Pointing to the stones (which to this day retain the shape of loaves), he says: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matt. 4:3; Luke 4:3). The devil hoped that having been tempted once, Jesus will react likewise in the future: surround Himself with the legions of Angels from His enemy hordes, come down from the cross and call Elijah to His aid (Matt. 26:53, 27:40, 49), and then the matter of saving humanity with His sufferings on the cross would not be realized. Having turned water into wine for the others and miraculously augmented the number of loaves, Human-God rejected this wily advice with the words of Moses, spoken in the regard to the manna which God sent to His people, while they were in the wilderness over a 40 year period: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”

Thursday

). Under the term “every word” one must understand God’s benevolent will that thinks of the man. The Lord performed miracles to satisfy not His needs but those of the others: if during all His sufferings, instead of tolerating them, He would have resorted to His Divine powers, He would not have been an example to us. Often repeating this miracle, He might have enticed those people that at the time were demanding “bread and signs”, however, those people would not be trustworthy for the Kingdom of Heaven, being established by Him. His aim was in that the people would follow Him freely, through His word and not like slaves, enticed by the ease of possessing with the earthly blessings.

Friday

Having suffered a defeat with his first temptation, the devil started with the second one: he took Him to Jerusalem and setting Him on the pinnacle of the temple, suggested: “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His Angels charge over You, in their hands they shall bear You up, Lest You dash your foot against a stone” (Matt. 4:6; Luke 4:9-10). The proposal was aimed at astounding the people’s imagination with this miracle, which were tense of expectation for the coming of the Messiah — and thus enticing them easily. Of course, this would have been of no moral benefit for the people’s moral life, and the Lord rejected that proposal with the words: “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt. 4:7; Luke 4:12). These words were said by Moses to the people of Israel (Deut. 6:16). Jesus Christ meant that without necessity, it was inadvisable to expose oneself to danger, trying out the wonder-working power of God’s omnipotence.

Saturday

Then the devil starts his third temptation by showing Christ, from a high mountain “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You fall down and worship me’” (Matt. 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7). The devil unfolded before Christ’s eyes the scene of all the kingdoms of the world, which, as the spirit of the evil, he actually controlled. He showed Him, what forces and means are under his disposal in this world, to fight with God, Who came down to the earth in order to save humanity from his control. Apparently, he hoped that this scene would agitate Jesus’s human spirit, instill the fear and doubt in His soul about the possibility of achieving the great task of saving the human race. Indeed, what could be more frightening than the picture of the world, voluntarily submitting itself into the devil’s authority? The devil wanted to say with this: “You see my authority over humans? Do not interfere with my existence and control over the people in the future, and for this, I am ready to share my authority with You — You only have to join me. Only worship me and you will be the Messiah that the Jews are expecting”. Naturally, with these words the devil promised Jesus the purely outward power over humans, only the outward authority over them, keeping for himself the inner, spiritual authority. But this was exactly what the Lord did not want, teaching that He did not come to rule outwardly, not to be served as an earthly ruler (Matt. 20:28), and that His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), His Kingdom is purely spiritual. That is why the Lord, using the words of Deuteronomy (6:13), drives the devil away from Himself: “Away with you Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matt. 4:10). With this, Jesus wants to show that He does not accept the devil’s authority over the world, because the universe belongs to the Lord God, and He is the only One to be to be worshipped in it.

According to Evangelist Luke, the devil leaves Jesus Christ “until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13), because he soon begins to tempt the Lord through people, creating all types of snares.        Evangelist Mark makes an important reference to the fact that in the wilderness, Jesus “was with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13). As the New Adam, the beasts would not venture to attack Him, acknowledging in Him their Sovereign.