Saturday, February 13, 2016

Reading: Luke 4:1-13

Luke 4:2 “For forty days Jesus was tempted by the devil.”

            For forty days Jesus was tempted, for forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert, for forty days and forty nights Moses was on the mountain of Sinai. If you have a concordance of the Bible, look up the word “forty” and see the remarkable number of passages with that number. What is the significance of all these forty years, forty days, forty nights? Forty is one of those rich symbolic numbers that biblical storytellers used in passing on the wise stories of God and Israel. The use of such a number is not random, but a tool to allude to a deeper meaning with few words. What could the meaning of forty be? Why do we wander for forty days in Lent (excluding Sundays)? Why are there forty days between Easter and Ascension? I do not want to give an answer. I want us to wonder: Why forty? And what in our lives needs forty hours, forty days, forty years?

O God of the desert, you have given us the precious gift of time. May we walk each day aware of your generosity and loving heart. Amen

• Invite friends or family to bake pretzels (see recipe below).

Lent: Pretzels                             425° oven                           Makes 12

(Pretzels were devised in a German monastery because they have no fat. The name comes from “Brezeln.” meaning “little arms” from the shape, which is meant to portray the crossed arms of a monk in prayer.)

Combine:                                          Stir in:

       1 pkg. yeast                               4 c. flour

       1½ c. warm water

       1 T. sugar

       1 t. salt

Knead well. Roll out to 16” x 12”. Cut into 12 strips. Roll strips between palms to about 24”. Shape into pretzels. Brush with 1 beaten egg white. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 425° for about 15-20 minutes, until golden. Makes 12.