First Sunday of Lent

“Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” Mt. 4:1

Temptation.

Even the word itself is alluring, glamorous, enticing.

And that’s because, if there’s one thing you and I understand about life, it’s the reality of being tempted. Whether it’s our diets that we impose on ourselves, or our struggles with greed or lust or vengeance, we’ve all gotten to know what temptation is like.

This is possibly why the story of Jesus being tempted has always been compelling. At heart, it’s really a battle story, a contest between the two great monumental forces of Good vs. Evil.

Jesus vs. the Devil.

At first glance, it appears to be a competition as to which can outdo the other at dropping Bible verses – proving once again that even the Devil can quote scripture.

But, to properly understand what’s happening in this Gospel story, we need to step back and remember the classic account of the Israelites being saved by God from the horrors of slavery.

Israel’s experience in the “wilderness” after escaping the slavery imposed on them by the Egyptians is expressed in terms of a test from God: “And you shall remember … the Lord your God had led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not.”

The whole idea of being tested, of being led by God, of a place of “wilderness,” of the number forty, and even of fasting, all comes from this original account of God testing to see if the people he’s so in love with will be able to love him in return; testing “to know what was in your heart.”

On a human level, the same is asked of Jesus.

What’s interesting to note is that none of the traditional “seven deadly sins” – “pride,” or “envy,” or “anger,” or “sloth,” or “greed,” or “gluttony,” or “lust” – are ever spoken by either Jesus or the Devil.

Instead, the three temptations in this story all appear to revolve around one single issue:

Power – and how it’s used or abused.

The question this gospel account poses, then, is this:

What kind of power will rule over the hearts of human beings? What kind of power will you and I exercise in our lives?

Will it be the kind promoted by Satan – the power of domination and self-immersion, the power of ruthlessness and cold-heartedness? Or will it be the power of charity and service and obedience and humility and compassion?

Keep in mind that the Father is about to hand over to Jesus an enormous amount of power – the power of being God’s face in the world; the power of building a kingdom of love and peace and mercy in this world.

Jesus, then, on a purely human level, must be tested to see if, unlike the Israelites of so long ago who flunked the test, he can remain utterly faithful to Abba, his Father.

This test is essentially the very same one that we all must pass if we are to assume a position of power in our own lives: the power to be a husband or wife, to be a parent, to be a leader of any kind.

The test given Jesus, therefore, is threefold:

First, Jesus is asked to deny who he truly is: God’s Son.

We also are asked to acknowledge our true identity –  human beings made in the image of God. Will we claim that identity as being God’s very own people and live our lives out of that conviction?

Second, Jesus is told he can be the source of great signs and wonders.

Will we be able to forsake our desire for fame and adulation and glory, and be willing instead to live a life of humility focused on service?

Third, Jesus is told he will be given all the power and glory of the world’s kingdoms.

Will we be able to resist the power inherent in all the glamorous attractions the world offers – the ones the seven deadly sins do address?

Temptations are powerfully seductive and glamorous and alluring.

Jesus resisted them.

Today’s Gospel challenges us to do the same.

That’s what the season of Lent is all about. It’s about the recognition that we all must do battle against temptation – especially the temptation to misuse power.

To assist us in this conversion process, the Church asks each of us to do what Jesus did:

Go into the “wilderness” for forty days. Pray, fast, become contrite, increase our service to others – all of this “testing to know what was in your heart,” and to remind us once again:

“The Lord, your God shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”