TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS CHRIST

TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS CHRIST

(A biblical refection on THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT [YEAR A], March 13, 2011)

Gospel Reading: Mt 4:1-11

First Reading: Gen 2:7-9;3:1-7; Psalms: Ps 51:3-6,12-14,17; Second Reading: Rom 5:12-19 (Rom 5:12,17-19)

The Scripture Text

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge of you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord You God.’” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to Him, “All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written, You shall worship the Lord Your God and Him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Mt 4:1-11 RSV)

After spending forty days and nights in solitude, meditation, prayer, and self-denial, Jesus permitted the devil to tempt Him. When the devil stepped in to tempt Jesus, he did not take aim at Jesus’ empty stomach. Instead, he launched a direct assault on Jesus’ relationship with His Father, urging Him to mistrust God’s love and care for Him. In effect, the devil told Jesus, “You are hungry. Do not rely on You Father to sustain You. Do something about it Yourself.”

This is the same temptation the devil levelled at Adam and Eve, our first parents (Gen 3:1-6). At the center of the serpent’s words to them was the lie that God did not love or provide for His newly created people. Throughout time, the devil has used this type of distortion to undermine our relationship with God, especially when we feel vulnerable – when we fast, when we examine our hearts and repent, when we are ill, or when we are heartbroken.

We must recognize Satan’s tricks and counter them with truth. Because Adam and Eve did not hold fast to the truth about God’s love, they succumbed to Satan’s tempting. While their failure can seem like an enormous and perhaps unforgivable mistake – and indeed it had disastrous implications – God never stopped loving them. Today, He loves us just as deeply and resolutely. In fact, not one person in history has ever been outside of God’s offer of mercy and reconciliation.

Satan often uses the shame we can feel over our sins to cloud our consciences, but we should never be blinded to God’s forgiveness and love. Today, we should remind ourselves that God loves each and everyone of us. Therefore, we can say it out loud many times today: “God loves me!” In prayer, we can ask God to show us His love. Let us ask God to show each of us His love. We can ask Him also for the strength to remain pure, undeceived, and unmoved by the evil one. Let us ask Jesus to come into our hearts and make this season of Lent a blessed time of renewal and grace in our lives.

Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unwavering love. From the first moment of creation, You have loved me. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. I will worship You alone all the days of my life. Amen.