Readings: Dt. 26:4-10; Rom 10:8-13; Lk 4:1-13
Temptation Builds Character
1. Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Noble Laureate, 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 like a man. Many men and women through the ages have felt that way too. There is a desire in our hearts to make the journey inward to discover who we are. We often find frightening things about ourselves in the journey inwards. Temptations abound. Today Jesus begins his inward journey to discover himself and his mission. 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. At times we experience consolation during prayer; other times, we experience desolation. The 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 at our corner, answering every request. At those times, the sky is the limit to what we can do. Other times God seems so far away that we feel we are toiling in vain; nothing seems to go our way; our desert feels so dry, and our prayer so meaningless. We fall into temptation easily when we experience desolation. The devil tempted Jesus to use his power to turn stones into bread. He was hungry. He was enticed to worship Satan to acquire 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 for friendship. Jesus teaches us that we can only stand up to Satan by being submissive to God. We must be steadfast in good times and in bad because St. Paul tells us that, "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. Remember: tough times do not last, but tough people do.
4. Lent rests on a three-legged stool of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Fasting and almsgiving fortify us spiritually to fight against the devil. Christ went into the desert to fast and pray for strength to combat the powers of this world. St. Paul reminds us that "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). Therefore, we must go into the desert with Jesus during the 40 days of Lent. Let us pray with him 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 lives. Temptation builds character and makes us stronger. May we learn to be humble, forgiving, compassionate, and merciful. May God help us 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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