Jesus Fasted and Was Tempted by the Devil
Introduction: May
you continue to respond to God’s grace touching your life!
God is a
gracious giver. God continues to gift us with grace – God’s own life. Yet God
also allows us the freedom to choose whether we will accept that gift of grace
or refuse the gift. We are tempted to seek what is self-pleasing rather than
doing what God wants – loving and serving God by loving and serving those
around us. God is waiting with help and more grace. If we make a decision to
follow the Lord Jesus, God will grace us with an ever deepening relationship.
If we decide to follow our own paths, God will still extend grace to us so that
we can change our direction and re-orient our lives back toward God.
Grace.
Temptation. Result of facing temptation. Grace again. That’s sort of sums up
today’s readings. Grace is God’s gift of Divine life given to humans.
Temptation is when humans are given the freedom to choose whether they want to
accept God’s grace or choose another value that may seem pleasing to them at
the time. The result of facing temptation will vary depending on what one
chooses to do with the temptation. The final step is God offering more grace.
Notice the cycle begins and ends with God’s gift of grace – a share in the
Divine life for humans.
First reading: Genesis 2:7-9;
3:1-7: The creation and sin of our first parents.
Commentary: In
Lent the readings are especially carefully chosen. The first readings work
through the history of salvation, starting with the story of un-salvation,
which makes it all necessary, the Fall of Adam and Eve. Presented in the form
of a historical story, this is not really history of what happened long ago to
the first Man (Adam means generically ‘Man’) and Woman. Rather it is an
analysis of what happens to us every day, an image of how sin happens: we are
subtly tempted to go against what we know are the divine commandments for life.
Look at the way the serpent flatters Eve to make her pleased with herself and
so fall all the easier! We fall, come to our senses and find ourselves naked
and defenceless. Even so, God does not desert the creatures whom he loves. He
comes to their aid, to help them over the worst: he himself sews garments out
of skins for them to ease their shame (Genesis 3:21), and finally – a few
verses later – promises that evil will not eventually prevail. Other cultures
have other stories of how evil comes into being, but only the Hebraeo-Christian
story ends with the assurance that evil will be conquered, that the seed of the
Woman will crush the head of the serpent.
Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4. 5-6b. 12-13. 14, 17. Have
mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
The psalm response (attributed to David after his fall from
grace by his adulterous and murderous plans regarding Bathsheba and her
husband, Uriah) is the response of all humanity: “Be merciful, O LORD, for we
have sinned.” We, as individuals and as a whole, have not always chosen to
accept the gift (grace) of God’s life. We have been led astray by false
promises of pleasant things: fulfilling our desires, seeking and building fame,
using power for ourselves instead of the Good of others, striking out at those
who block our desires and wants.
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19: ‘Where sin increased,
grace abounded all the more.’
Commentary: Paul’s
letter to the Romans sets out in glowing confidence and clarity the process by
which evil was overcome. Just as the representative of all humanity, Adam,
turned away from God, and by his disobedience set humanity on a course leading
to disaster, so Christ, by his supreme act of loving obedience, turned back the
course of human destiny. Only Christ, who was not only the supreme Man, but
more than man, could so reverse the course of history and bring to God the
homage of the human race which would wipe away and extirpate the rebellion from
God wrought by human disobedience. We know full well that we were born into a
world where evil begets evil, fraud begets fraud, violence begets violence,
jealousy begets jealousy. Salvation consists in the conscious act of putting
our faith in Christ, in the reversal he achieved. This is normally – but
not always – expressed in baptism, by which we enter into Christ and
clothe ourselves in his redemption. So the one Man, Adam, prefigures the one
Man, Christ. Only the direction is reversed. Adam is paradigm of rebellion from
God; Christ the paradigm of loving obedience to God.
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11: Jesus fasts for forty days and is
tempted.
Commentary: By
putting this scene of the testing of Jesus at the beginning of Lent, the Church
shows that it sees Lent as a period of testing. Matthew sees this moment as the
testing of God’s Son, as the People of God Israel – God’s son, whom he
brought out of Egypt into the desert – was tested for forty years. We may
also see it as the time when Jesus reflected on the mode of his mission. His
mission was to bring the Kingship of God to a new realisation: how should he do
this? The Tempter suggests false ways, which Jesus rejects, one after another,
each time with a word from scripture, the Word of God. He rejects the idea of
the Messiah merely producing the luxury of the plenteous messianic banquet
(stones into food). He rejects the idea of a startling personal miracle which
none could gainsay (the leap from the Temple). He rejects the suggestion of
entering into league with the Tempter’s own values of pride and dominion (rule
over the world). At the same time Jesus shows himself to be the Second Moses, the
founder of a new People of God: like Moses, he spends forty days and forty
nights fasting; like Moses he is taken up onto a high mountain, from where he
can see not merely all the territory of the Holy Land, but all the kingdoms of
the earth.
Reflection: Are
you ready to follow the Lord Jesus and to go with him wherever he leads you?
Jesus did not choose his own course or path in life, but followed the will of
his Father in heaven. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the River
Jordan, he was led by the Spirit of God to withdraw into the wilderness of
Judea - a vast desert wilderness that was mostly uninhabitable and full of
danger. Danger from scorching heat by day and extreme cold at night, danger
from wild animals and scorpions, plus the deprivation of food and scarcity of
water.
Preparing mind, heart, and
will to serve God: Why did Jesus choose such a barren, lonely place
for a sustained period of prayer and fasting? Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us
in their Gospel accounts that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the
wilderness. Mark states it most emphatically: "The Spirit immediately
drove him out into the wilderness" (Mark 1:12).
What compelled Jesus to seek solitude, away from his family
and friends, for such a lengthy period? Was it simply a test to prepare him for
his mission? Or did Satan want to lure him into a trap? The word tempt in
English usually means to entice someone to do what is wrong or forbidden. The
scriptural word used here also means test in the sense of proving and assessing
someone to see if they are prepared and ready for the task at hand. We test
flight pilots to see if they are fit to fly under all conditions, including
times of adverse turbulence, storms, and poor visibility. In like manner God
tests his people to see if they are ready to follow and serve him without
reservation or compromise.
Keeping God's word and
holding to his promises: On a number of occasions God tested Abraham
to prove his faith and to strengthen his hope in the promises that God made to
him. Abraham obeyed willingly even when God asked him to sacrifice his only son
Isaac, the son of promise. When the Israelites were sorely tested in Egypt for
more than 400 years of hard labor and persecution, they did not forget God.
They kept God's word and remembered his promise to deliver them from oppression
and bring them back into their promised homeland.
When God called Moses to free the Israelites from their
captivity in Egypt, God led them into the wilderness to his holy mountain at
Sinai. There Moses ascended the mountain and met with God face to face for 40
days in prayer and fasting (Exodus 24:18). The prophet Elijah was also led on a
40 day journey to the holy mountain at Sinai (also called Horeb) to seek the
face of God. God sustained Elijah for his journey with supernatural bread from
heaven (1 Kings 19:8).
Jesus' forty days of testing
and preparation: Jesus was no exception to this pattern of testing
and preparation for the mission his Father gave him. He was led into the
wilderness for 40 days without food and little shelter. He had nothing to
sustain himself in this barren wilderness except what the Father would provide
for him during his forty days of prayer and fasting. Jesus was left alone in
this harsh and austere environment to wrestle with the temptation to seek an
easy or comfortable course that would avoid pain and hardship, humiliation and
rejection, suffering and death on a cross.
Jesus' testing in the wilderness was similar to the test
which Adam and Eve underwent when God made them stewards of his creation and
sharers in his glory and power. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Paradise, he provided them with everything they needed to live and to fulfill
the stewardship entrusted to them. In giving them the one command to not eat of
the fruit of the tree of knowledge, God tested their love and fidelity (Genesis
2:16-17; 3:1-6).
Why did they fail to obey this one command of God? They
listened to the voice of a rebel angel, who disguised himself as a very subtle
and clever figure of charm and persuasion.The Scriptures call this tempter by
many names, the devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9), Beelzebub the prince of
demons (Luke 11:15, Matthew 12:24), the evil one (Matthew 13:38) and the father
of lies (John 8:44). Satan tempted Adam and Eve with pride and envy to claim
equality with God. As a consequence of their disobedience, Adam and Eve were
cast out of Paradise and driven into the wilderness.
Jesus resisted the devil and
obeyed the voice of his Father: Jesus now freely enters the
wilderness in order to regain Paradise for the lost children of God. Jesus
refuses food to show his dependence on the bread of heaven, the word of God,
that would sustain him not only in his physical hunger, but in his hour of
temptation as well. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus
replied with the words of Scripture, "Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (quote from
Deuteronomy 8:3; Mt 4:4).
Where did Jesus find the strength to survive the desert's
harsh conditions and the tempter's seduction? He fed on God's word and found
strength in doing his Father's will. Satan will surely tempt us and he will try
his best to get us to choose our will over God's will. If he can't make us
renounce our faith or sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices
that will lead us, little by little, away from what God wants for us.
Strength from God in
resisting temptation: Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame sin
not by his own human effort but by the grace and strength which his Father gave
to him. He had to renounce his will for the will of his Father. He succeeded
because he wanted to please his Father and he trusted that his Father would
give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in the way. Luke
says that Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1). When
tempted by the devil Jesus did not try to fight his adversary on his own human
strength. He relied on the power which the Spirit gave him. Jesus came to
overthrow the evil one who held us captive to sin and fear of death (Hebrews
2:14). His obedience to his Father's will and his willingness to embrace the
cross reversed the curse of Adam's disobedience. His victory over sin and death
won for us not only pardon for our sins but adoption as sons and daughters of
God.
How can we overcome sin and gain freedom over our unruly
desires and the lies of Satan and the world? The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy
Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and
consoler in temptation and testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace
to the humble who acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) and he helps
us to stand against the lies and attacks of our enemy, Satan, who seeks to
destroy us (1 Peter 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:10-18). The Lord Jesus is ever ready to
pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the strength and courage we need
to resist sin and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to
"fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power
and strength which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you rely on the Lord for your
strength and help?
Lord Jesus, your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with
your Holy Spirit that I may have the strength and courage to embrace your will
in all things and to renounce whatever is contrary to it.
Daily Quote from the Early
Church Fathers: On the Snare of the Devil, by Ambrose, 339-397 A.D.
"The devil said to Jesus: 'If you are the son of God,
command that these stones become bread' (Luke 4:3). Here we learn that there
are three principal weapons that the devil likes to carry in order to wound our
souls. They are gluttony, arrogance and ambition. Here begins the weapon with
which he has already been victorious. We likewise should begin to be victorious
in Christ in the very same area in which we have been defeated in Adam - we
should be wary of gluttony. The devious trap is set for us when the table is
laid for a royal banquet - it is bound to weaken our defences.
"See what weapons Christ uses to defeat the power of
the devil. He does not use the almighty power he has as God - what help would
that be to us? In his humanity he summons the help common to all - overlooking
bodily hunger and seeking the word of God for nourishment.
"Whoever follows the Word is no longer attached to
earthly bread, because he receives the bread of heaven and knows the divine is
better than the human, the spiritual is better than the physical. Therefore,
because such a person desires the true life, he looks for that which fortifies
the heart by means of its invisible substance." (excerpt from On the
Gospel of St. Luke, 4, 17)
Abba always: “The
tempter approached and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God...’ ” —Mt 4:3.
Lent is the imitation of Jesus when He fasted for forty days
(Mt 4:2). This fasting was part of Jesus’ battle to overcome the temptations of
the devil. These temptations were centered on the Father’s proclamation that
Jesus is His beloved Son (Mt 3:17). This was the message of the Father to Jesus
before the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted (Mt 4:1). Satan
introduced two of his three temptations with the phrase, “If You are the Son of
God” (Mt 4:3, 6). Satan was trying to downplay and cast doubt on the Father’s
love for Jesus as His Son.
Jesus overcame these same temptations throughout His life.
Even in His agony in the garden, Jesus kept praying: “Abba” (Father) (Mk
14:36). Moments before His death on the cross, Jesus prayed: “Father, into Your
hands I commend My spirit” (Lk 23:46; see also Ps 31:6). Jesus always trusted
in His Father’s love, no matter what the circumstances.
One of the main purposes of Lent is to overcome all
temptations and doubts about the Father’s love for us, His children. It is best
to fight this battle now and not to wait for death, fear, tragedy, or pain to
challenge our faith in our Father’s love. Accept your Father’s love this Lent.
Then you will accept it when life doesn’t make sense, death hits close to home,
and you feel so lost and alone. This Lent, know indelibly the Father’s love.
Prayer: “Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in
the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from
my guilt and of my sin cleanse me” (Ps 51:3-4). “Just as through one man’s
disobedience all became sinners, so through one Man’s obedience all shall
become just.” —Rm 5:19. Praise the risen Jesus, the only Way to the Father (Jn
14:6).
The personal action for
today: When have I experienced
God’s grace – the Divine Life of God being extended to me? What temptation(s)
do I face that challenge my relationship with the Lord Jesus and His Abba? What
enables me to resist the temptation(s) and seek God’s will for my life? How do
I respond when I have failed to resist the temptation(s)? How can I help others
who are struggling with temptations?
The Chair of Saint Peter: This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter
to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church.
After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt, and self-torment,
Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has
risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter
ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter
entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by
itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “…[T]hey did not yet
understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9).
They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea
became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked
doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced.
The Pentecost event completed Peter’s experience of the
risen Christ. “…[T]hey were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and
began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as
the Spirit prompted them.
Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “…
[O]nce you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32).
He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the
Holy Spirit—before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching,
before the Council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias
and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The
healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the
dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets
so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them.
Even a saint experiences difficulty in Christian living.
When Peter stopped eating with Gentile converts because he did not want to
wound the sensibilities of Jewish Christians, Paul says, “…I opposed him to his
face because he clearly was wrong…. [T]hey were not on the right road in line
with the truth of the gospel…” (Galatians 2:11b, 14a).
At the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen,
amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go
where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and
someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John
21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to
glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did
glorify his Lord with a martyr’s death, probably in the company of many Christians.
Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his
burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica,
which was replaced in the 16th century.
Like the committee chair, the chair refers to the occupant,
not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times
and hesitating to welcome gentiles into the new Church. But, as we know, he
turned toward the light. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit,
sometimes even failed scandalously. As individuals, we may sometimes think a
particular pope has let us down. Still, the office endures as a sign of the
long tradition we cherish and as a focus for the universal Church.