Jesus counts to three

Three is an important number for kids. When you were learning to count, you started with "one, two, three." In baseball, you get three strikes to hit the ball before you're out. And if you're in trouble, your parents "count to three" to make you stop.

Three was an important number for Jesus, too. In this week's Gospel (Luke 4:1-13), He gets tempted by the devil three times to be bad -- and wins!

Jesus went into the desert to pray for 40 days. He had no food, and He was hungry. The devil came and said, "If you're God, why don't you make the rocks into bread?" But Jesus wouldn't. "Bread isn't the only food," He said. "Listening to God is a kind of food, too!" The devil tried again. "I'll give you the whole world if you'll follow me," he said. Jesus answered, "God is the one people should follow." Finally, the devil took Jesus to the top of a building. "If you're God, jump," he said. "The angels will catch you." But Jesus told him, "Don't test God." Then the devil left Him alone.

Lots of things start with counting to three. Hearing "three" at the beginning of a race means "go!" "One, two, THREE!" kids count before they help blow out birthday candles on a cake.

Something important in Jesus' life started with three, too: His teaching. Before Jesus went to pray in the desert, He hadn't started teaching people about God yet. But after the devil tried to make Him sin three times and Jesus said no, Jesus felt strong and ready to go out and save the world.

The number three is especially important when you're in trouble and your parents are counting, giving you three seconds to stop what you're doing before you get punished. Jesus did the same thing with the devil: After He told the devil that God was more important than food and that everyone should listen to God, Jesus got to three.

"Stop bothering me!" Jesus told the devil. "I'm God, and I won't listen to you!" That finally got rid of the devil. But every time we count to three, we can remember Jesus, who did it first!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember the three ways to be good that you showed me. Amen!

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