Readings: Dt. 26:4-10; Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13
Temptation Builds Character
1. Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Noble Laurette, was asked about his new year's resolution. He said he would spend more time with himself, taking long walks in the fields, admiring nature more, and spending less time with human beings. He said that the more time he spent with human beings, the less he felt less of a man. Many men and women down through the ages have felt the same way too. There is an intense desire in our hearts to make the journey inward to discover who we are. We often find certain frightening things about ourselves in our journey inwards. Temptations abound during this journey. Today we see Jesus during his inward journey to discover who he was and the meaning of his mission from above. He had just received Baptism in the Jordan and was basking in the overwhelming love of his Father. "After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matt.3:16-17).
2. The first Sunday of Lent presents us with the temptation of Jesus. "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." (Matt. 4:1) Our life is full of ups and downs; sometimes, we are on top of the world; other times, we are down at the bottom. We often experience consolation during prayer; other times, we face desolation. Our Christian life is anything but static. Many saints experienced the dark night of the soul during their encounter with God. At times we feel that God is right in our corner, answering every request. At those times, it seems the sky is the limit to what we can do. Other times God seems so far from us that we feel we are toiling in vain; nothing seems to go our way. Our desert feels so dry, and our prayer seems meaningless. It is when we experience desolation that we are tempted. Jesus was tempted to use his power when he was hungry. He was enticed to worship Satan so as to have material wealth. And finally, he was to demonstrate his miraculous powers to be praised by all. These temptations were to make Jesus powerful and bring glory to himself. But Jesus trusted his Father and shamed the devil. He showed the devil that all power belonged to God. He came to do the will of his Father, not his own will.
3. The devil always gets us at our weakest point: when we are sick, hungry, jobless, impoverished, or desperate. Jesus shows us that we can only withstand Satan by our trust in God. We should be steadfast in good times and in bad. Because St. Paul reminds us, "All things work for the good of those who love the Lord, nothing can separate us from the love of God." (Rom 8:28, 31). When we experience desolation, God takes us by the hand and leads us on. Therefore, we must be prayerful. Reading and knowing the bible will assist us in understanding what to say to the devil when he comes knocking at our door.
4. Lent rests on a three-legged stool of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fasting and almsgiving fortify our spiritual war against the devil. Christ went into the desert to fast and pray for strength to combat the powers of this world. According to Paul, "Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." (Eph. 6:12-13). Hence, we must go into the desert with Jesus during the 40 days of Lent to pray for the power to stand up to the machinery of the devil. As Christ surrendered to the will of God and fortified himself with God's word, so must we. With prayer and the word of God on his lips, He countered Satan: "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God; and again, it is written, "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." And finally, "Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve" (Mt. 4:4,7,10). We often give in to temptation because we do not know how to fortify ourselves. Lent gives us that golden opportunity to do battle with the devil. We must give alms, fast, and pray if we are to face the temptations of our daily lives. Temptation builds character and makes us stronger. We must be humble, forgiving, compassionate, and merciful, and the devil will stay far away from us. May God help us to enter into this season of grace with commitment and the desire to change. Please read Psalm 51 as you pray for strength this week. Be blessed now and always. Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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