The readings for the First Sunday of Lent (Year A) may be found at:
Temptations are all around us, aren’t they?
As we heard in today’s gospel, even Jesus was tempted.
Now, these temptations took place in what was a time of preparation for Jesus.
His forty days in the wilderness happened right after he was baptized by John The Baptist in the Jordan, when the Spirit came upon Him and God’s voice was heard saying, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.
This time of preparation is what we hear about as we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent.
Lent is a preparation for what God calls us to – holiness – to love Him and to love others and to do it in a public, sacrificial way. In this time, we will be tempted.
Thankfully, we have a savior that knows what it is like to be tempted.
He was tempted by the devil, just like we are.
But what is temptation? Is temptation, sin? No. Temptation is not sin.
Think of it this way, temptation is like a bridge that leads to sin.
Whether we sin or not comes down to whether we cross that bridge of temptation or not.
But the bridges that lead to sin are everywhere, aren’t they?
Gluttony, pornography, illicit sex, masturbation, pride, profanity, materialism, hurting others for our own benefit, the list goes on and on.
We live in a culture where we’re told we can get what we want when we want it. And the devil knows this. He knows our weaknesses and he uses them.
It was no different with Jesus.
The devil said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
The devil begins by using the word “If” – If you are the son of God.
The devil knew Jesus was God’s Son.
But he starts by planting seeds of doubt.
If he can make us doubt our relationship with God, then maybe, we’ll act as if we have none.
And then comes the temptation.
Was the devil’s first temptation of Jesus really about eating bread? Not really.
The devil could have said, “Aren’t you his beloved son in whom He is well pleased? If that’s true, why would He starve you in the wilderness? Why should you be hungry?”
The point of this temptation is not about hunger - it’s about trying to get Jesus to distrust His Father. And so it is with us.
The devil says, take this into your own hands. You can fill your emptiness - you deserve it.
Instead, Jesus shows His absolute confidence in God.
That’s the lesson. Trust in God. God will not fail me. I will trust Him. I won’t grab my own satisfaction, I won’t fulfill my selfish desires. I will wait for God.
The devil hears Jesus’ response and uses it against him – the devil is tricky – he does that. So, you trust God do you? The devil take Jesus to the holy city and says “If you are the Son of God throw yourself down” – let’s prove that God will not fail you.
But the devil wasn’t done. The devil takes Jesus to a high mountain and gives Him a view of all the world’s kingdoms.
Essentially, he says, I’m offering you what God offers you - only better. The world is your oyster and you can have it all without the pain of the cross. Just compromise yourself.
The devil whispers this to us all the time. You know what you want, hey, you’re a good person, you work hard, you sacrifice, you deserve it and too often, we cross that bridge from temptation to sin and turn our back on God.
The devil tells us to get while the getting is good.
But for Jesus it was clear; submitting to sin and the easy path, without the cross was turning away from God, the one who wants what’s best for us.
We have that same choice.
One of the blessings of having Jesus as our Savior is His ability to comfort and aid us when we are tempted.
He knows what it’s like.
He’s sympathetic, and can provide mercy and grace to help,
if we pray to him,
if we find quiet time to listen to him,
if we seek him out in adoration,
if we follow his path in the Stations of the Cross,
if we are properly disposed to be in communion with Him in the Eucharist.
In this time of Lent, this time of preparation.
Let us be mindful of the path that we are on,
the cross that we must bear
and the glorious salvation that awaits us
if we don’t give into temptation and stay true to God,
Choosing Him over what is quick and easy and short lived.
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