Sunday, February 10, 2008AD
First Sunday of Lent
Temptations – Passim
We all have heard the words from one of our Eucharistic Prayers, “One like us in all things but sin.” It is a variation of Jesus was… “One Who was similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.” (Hb 4.15) Pope Benedict has stressed in his last book, Jesus of Nazareth, that Jesus was tempted throughout His life. We hear today of the temptations during His 40 days in the wilderness at the start of His public life. St Matthew teaches us this when he reminds us that Jesus prayed three times in the
Pope Benedict comments that in the beginning, the tempter (aka the devil) challenged Jesus to turn stones into bread and to win acclaim as a magician. Jesus resists the temptation. However, later on, Jesus feeds thousands in the multiplication of the loaves and fish, as well as feeding all His disciples in the Lord’s Supper. Second, the tempter challenges Jesus to hurl Himself down from the top of the
There is real consolation in realizing that Jesus understands our human situation, because He lived it Himself. In His world, but more in our own, not only individuals but also cultures are subject to temptation. It is particularly stressful when we realize that the really hot button sins in our culture are probably violence, greed and dishonesty. Therefore, when a culture even somehow condones any of these, there is the temptation to rationalize by saying, “Everyone does it”. Just as individuals can become addicted, compulsed and enmeshed, so can our families and groups and culture. Even if everyone does, it does not make it right and, with God’s Help, we can resist temptation.
However, even more insidious is the threat of what some have called the temptation of complacency. A prime example that Jesus used Himself during His ministry was the parable of the great banquet when the guests turned down the invite because they had something important and legitimate to do. One had just bought a field; one just bought some oxen; one had just gotten married. Nothing wrong with any of that, but the three individuals succumbed to three good things at the expense of the One Really Good Thing, viz., citizenship in God’s World Order. (If each had responded to the invite, then as richly blessed members of the Jesus Movement, they still could have bought the field and the oxen and have gotten married also!!)
As
In our stressed out existence, we can succumb to either hot button temptations, such as violence, greed and dishonesty or the complacency temptations of going along with the crowd on what are really important things, but sometimes become the center of our existence, rather than our Transcendent, Absolute, Infinite basis, the God Who lives in me and in Whom I live.
It is encouraging for us, Pope Benedict says, to realize that Jesus shared our life experiences. It is especially encouraging to remember that, like us, He experienced temptation throughout His life from beginning to end. It is encouraging to realize that He would not demand the impossible of us in our lives. The Divine Presence with us energizes us to live our lives as God’s daughters and sons as well. In the forty days ahead and thereafter, let us give it a shot in Christ Jesus. 021008AD jfq
