FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, YR C
Deut 26:4-10; Ps 91;
Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13
LENT; A SEASON TO RETURN TO THE LORD
After his baptism, Jesus is now cleared to begin his ministry. He is driven by the Holy Spirit to face his task which comes with its own challenges and temptations. The first task is to face the temptations that come with his ministry and vocation. It is interesting to note that after Holy Spirit filled him the first thing was that he was driven into the wilderness to face temptations. The wilderness bring our minds to mind the wondering of the children of Israel in the desert and it also symbolizes the torment and afflictions of the evil one.
Lent is also a time for us to face the challenges and inner evils of our lives with courage. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not to make life easy for us but to help us overcome our temptations in the spiritual battle we face, after all we are the Church militant.
Jesus faced these temptations because of God’s declaration that “you are my son, my beloved…” (Lk 3:4). Having become children of God through baptism, we too must be ready to face the temptations of our calling.
In these temptations of Jesus, the church invites us to reflect on the things that draw us away from God.
In the first temptation the devil asked Jesus to turn stones into bread. This is a temptation of preference for comfort. Bread here symbolises the things in our lives that makes us comfortable; food, drink, sex and the things that soothes our appetitive yearnings. These are good but they must not become ends in themselves or the highest good to be pursued in our lives. We must not spend our life’s span in prioritising indulgence in them.
As children of God, like Jesus, we are to become channels of his grace in the world. That cannot happen when we are driven about by our senses, appetites and desire for comfort. If our lives are about comfort and ease, we cannot become what God wants us to be. Pope Benedict says “the world offers you comfort but we are made for greatness.” This greatness is to be Jesus’ representatives of grace and love.
In the second temptation, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and told him all could be his, if only he was willing to worship him the devil. This is a temptation of power. With this kind of power, Jesus can subject people to accept his message by whatever means worldly leaders exercise their power: force and violence. By this Jesus can easily force people to accept his massage without doing much.
This kind of power can be seen in an unbridled pursuit of worldly ambition, control over others and to do what one pleases. Many people can eschew sensuality and comfort but power is most tempting to everyone. To be the one who is seen or is in charge of everything and to be able to do whatever without any hinderance.
But Jesus makes it clear that real and true power comes from God alone and our submission to him. We must learn from him who allowed himself to be handed over to the scribes, the Sanhedrin, to Pilate and ultimately hanged on the cross in submission to the will of God the Father. He who prevented Peter and his disciples from exhibiting the wrong form of power in order to save him.
When you find yourself in a powerful situation you should use it for God’s purposes and not your own interest. What you worship determines everything in your life. Are you worshiping God or your comfort, opinion or desire or power.?
In the third temptation the devil challenged Jesus “throw yourself down if you are the son of God” since God has promised to protect him.
The first two temptation are clear and direct and can clearly be discerned but this very third one is subtle, and that is where the danger lies. It is temptation to use God for our own purposes. To use and manipulate God instead of becoming his servant. This is the sin of pride, making yourself the centre of everything including God. The desire to get God to do things our way. This temptation also includes doing evil things in the name of God or under the cover of spirituality and religion. Let us look at how Jesus surrendered to God: “not my will but your will be done”.
This third temptation is also a question of identity. Test of identity and need the need to prove oneself. True faith does not demand miraculous signs but trust in Gods wisdom. All the temptations are premised with “if you are the son of God”. We must careful to avoid this temptation in our own lives in every respect. There Jesus’ rebuttals to the temptations show that there is no need to prove anything to anyone so long as we are living in accordance with our calling and vocation.
Lent is a season to look into ourselves, to renew, recommit and return to the Lord. It is a season to overcome our desire for comfort that leads us away from God, to overcome our pride and desire for control by submitting to God and to put our trust in him, knowing who we are and have become through our baptism.
God bless you.
BY Rev. Fr. Delight Carbonu
