Choral Reading - Temptation

Walt came up with a choral reading for next Sunday...
I have taken the Matthew and Luke accounts of Jesus' temptation and melded them into a single choral reading for three voices: narrator, Jesus, Satan. See what you think about this for Feb. 13.

CHORAL READING ABOUT JESUS' TEMPTATION

NARRATOR: After his baptism, as Matthew and Luke tell the story, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan. There he fasted for forty days and nights and became very hungry.

SATAN: I came to him and said, "You say you are the Son of God. Tell these stones to become bread."

JESUS: No. The scripture says that no one can live by bread alone. Your bread won't feed my soul.

N: Then Satan showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world.

S: See all this power and wealth I can give you; all you have to do is kneel and worship me.

J: My Torah commands me to worship only the Lord God and serve only Him.

N: Then Satan took him up to the pinnacle of the Jerusalem temple and said to him:

S: If you are truly God's Son, throw yourself down from here. Your God will surely order His angels to catch you up, lest you dash even a foot against those stones.

J: Outta here, Satan! I will not put my God to the test.

N: Then Satan sulked away, and angels came and tenderly cared for Jesus.

And how did Mark tell the story? With his characteristic brevity, he put the whole event into three verses. Listen:

"After Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit called him into the desert, where he stayed for forty days, being tempted by Satan. Wild animals were there also, but angels came and ministered to him."

Two accounts of Jesus' temptation for our reflection.