Deliverance

Mark devotes all of two verses to what Matthew and Luke elaborate in several: The Temptations in the Desert.  Yet, his skeletal description contains the essence of all three versions:  Jesus passes the temptation test and assures us that we too can be delivered from the onslaught of the Evil One's wiles.  In the Hebrew tradition, great personages go through a period of trial before they arrive at their mission:  Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David., were all prepared, strengthened and fortified before their "real work" began...So too with Jesus, (who had no need for preparation, but was led by the Spirit to experience what we go through) so that when we are tempted, we might find strength in relying on him who understands temptation. 
Mark does not mention the three temptations, but we are familiar enough with them to know that the devil doesn't stop with one.  As we begin this first full week of Lent, it is good to remember that temptation, failure and "rebooting" are part of the pattern of spiritual growth, as recovering addicts learn that relapse is part of the process of recovery.  We might have failed to keep a Lenten resolution already, but we take heart and strength from the example of Jesus, that deliverance awaits us as long as we don't give up.
Bro. Rene