Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17
Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin
Jesus' Temptations Are Ours Too.
On every first Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the Gospel of Jesus being led to the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan as a preparation for his ministry. Today we read the Matthean version of the story of temptations. Something important to be aware of is that each of the temptations of Christ are the same temptations we all face daily. These particular temptations reveal what was at the heart of Jesus' desires and fears after His time in the wilderness. Perhaps, there were many temptations throughout the 40 days and nights, but the Gospels focus on these three. Jesus was tempted by these particular temptations because He struggled with the same struggles that we have: whether to live our life our way OR to live serving God wherever it will lead. Let us look at each and how they are our major temptations we face today.
The first temptation: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into bread." This is a temptation of glutton and worldly appetites, bodily appetites like lust and all pleasures of satisfaction. It is a big temptation; we have to be aware of it for Satan uses it many times. Notice first that the devil knows the Scripture and knows Jesus very well even him being the Son of God. The devil starts by testing his divinity, challenging him to prove his dignity by satisfying his own desires. Secondly, after forty days of fasting and prayer, the gospel says that Jesus was hungry. These two, is where the devil starts from to test Jesus. The devil uses similar tricks to test us. Firstly, he will start with testing our capabilities, authority and talents so that we can use them badly or even to show off. Be aware not to use them in a wrong way. Secondly, the devil will tempt us with what we really need most. You can't tempt someone with "bread" who isn't hungry. Let us be careful not to attain what we need and hunger for in wrong ways that displease God and one another.
All of us live to satisfy ourselves. Our earthly appetites. We seek to put food on the table, a roof over our heads and make something of ourselves. But obedience to God must at the very bottom of our list of things to do. If these worldly appetites cross the will of God, then God's will must be done. Jesus sought the will of the Father. That is His food. His Heavenly appetite. This was what Jesus was actually hungry for: God's Word, and that is why he responded that man does not live on bread alone but by the word of God. He was not driven by His fleshly wants but sought only to follow God in faith. He denies Himself.
Second Temptation: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down" while quoting Psalm 91: 11-12, that God's Angels will protect him even from hurting his foot. This is a temptation to self-glory, sin of arrogance. Many of us would fall into this temptation today but Jesus teaches us the way we are to attain glory. By jumping off the top of the Temple and floating down on the wings of angels, all the Jewish Temple worshipers would behold Jesus descending from Heaven, as they would have expected the Messiah to arrive. It would have been an amazing spectacle. People would have immediately worshiped Him as their King. His life from then on would have been of power, authority and glory. But this would be his self-glory and not according to the will of God, an in fact would be testing and controlling God for by having the ability to control God, one would have great power. It all goes back to the will of God. It is not about what we want, but what God wants. Jesus humbles Himself and denounces Satan's temptation. Jesus didn't come for His own glory, but to be a humble servant to do the purpose of God. And that purpose, was to be a sacrifice for mankind. Again, He is taking a step back from His own will to instead do the will of God.
Don't we sometimes or even all the time test God? So many of us today want God to give us a sign, answer our prayers or ask God to prove Himself by some miracle before we will have faith. Faith alone and the promise of God is not enough for us, so we test God. We even reach at a time of promising God that we are going to worship him and love him above all if He answers our prayers or do a certain miracle for us. This is not the way to go. We forget that our worship, love and praise of God add nothing to him but profit us for our salvation. Let Jesus' example teach us this fundamental truth this Lenten season.
Third temptation: "I will give you these (kingdoms of the world and their splendor) if you fall at my feet and worship me." This is a temptation to power and ambition. Oh! How sweet is this temptation and how many of us have fallen into it! Here, it is not about only political power but wealth, recognition, authority, possessions, big businesses, glory, influence and to be adored. it is indeed, to have it all! This is the greatest temptation. Satan uses it most. This temptation leads us to serving ourselves rather than God. For instance, in order to succeed, many businesspeople will do and say anything to advance to the top, trampling on many along the way. They also sacrifice so many important things like family or friends, honesty, morality or integrity because their business comes first. It is their god. They forget, as Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" The devil can only offer the temporal worldly treasures that will pass away, but Jesus seeks God's eternal treasures that the devil cannot offer. Let us not fall into this temptation.
In short and summary of the Jesus' three temptations, we will always find ourselves struggling with these three temptations: Seeking to satisfy ourselves instead of God, Manipulating God to attain our goals of power and glory and finally, to be as God; to have it all. Let us be aware of them. They will come in different forms, not necessarily same as Jesus' but they will be similar. We are invited today to try and discern what our most occurring temptations are and what causes them and try to avoid. Remember they are entangled within our needs even the basic ones. If they come, and they will surely come, we have to avoid them and win over them just as Jesus did. How do we overcome them? The Spirit of the Lord, that which helped Jesus overcome them, and then the Word of God, knowing and practicing the Word of God. Jesus did not use his divine powers but the Word of God and the Spirit of God to show us humans how to overcome temptations. These two can also help us overcome our temptations especially this Lenten period.
Let us Pray.
My Lord, allow me to pray at your side. Allow me to wrestle with the temptations of my life at your side. I glance at you and witness your wholehearted trust in the Father. I want to imitate that loving trust. I renew my faith in the fact that, through Baptism, I participate in your life and in your grace. Kindle your love for the Father in my own heart, so that your love in my heart will overcome every temptation. Amen
Be blessed.
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