1st Sunday of Lent - March 6,2022

      Every year on the first Sunday of Lent, the liturgy of the word invites us to meditate on the temptations of Jesus.  The synoptic gospels (Mk, Mt, Lk) capture at the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus what John narrates as a lifetime of discernment of the will of the Father (read Jn 6:15, 30-31; 7:3).   The narrative of the temptations of Jesus in the synoptic gospels resembles those of the people of Israel in the wilderness. On another level, in Jesus “we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). Therefore, the temptations of Jesus are also our own.  The gospel of today reminds us that the journey of our life is often marked by trials and temptations, even as the Spirit leads us forward. Jesus’ response is also for us a way of life to overcome the temptation we will face in life.

     The first temptation ‘to turn stones to bread’ was not merely aimed at the urge to use the miraculous power given him for his Messianic mission to satisfy his own physical hunger. It was also a temptation to ignore His real mission as Messiah and to respond to others’ physical needs alone, without, at the same time, showing them that the Kingdom of God is more than mere food and drink. Today our culture is one of exposure. It is so physical. It revolves around the body. It exaggerates the role of pleasure. Let us ask ourselves the same question: do we use the powers God has given us – physical, financial, mental, or spiritual – for our own satisfaction, comfort, or enrichment alone?

     The second temptation for Jesus was whether he would opt for political power and success or choose the path that would lead to suffering, humiliation, and death. Satan said: “Worship me and it will all be yours.” But this was really an invitation to accomplish His mission by dishonorable means: “If you are going to get along in this world, you need to compromise now and then.” This temptation points to our subtle attraction to doing the right thing by using the wrong means. It is interesting to note that at the financial district 

in New York (Wallstreet) stands a charging bull! The bull is the golden calf of today’s culture which is centered around money-profit-possessions! The temptation to create and worship other gods is so strong in our contemporary culture.

     In this final temptation, Jesus was urged to doubt God. Satan suggested that Jesus should put God to the test: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down,” trusting in Divine protection as promised in Psalm 91:11-12. Jesus responded by quoting another text from Deuteronomy: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Dt 6:16), which refers to an incident in which “the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?'” (Ex 17:7). Jesus’ reply, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test,” (v. 13) silenced the devil and actually affirmed his identity as both Lord and God without declaring it.

As we journey through Lent, let us remember that the temptation of the Garden of Eden is still with us. (Gn 3:5). We are tempted to give ourselves godlike status and treat others as our subordinates. Consequently, we resent every limitation of our freedom and vigorously deny the fact that we are dependent on God and on others. We are tempted to accomplish good ends by bad means. We are also tempted to trivialize faith when visible magic on demand is not happening.

     Hans Conzelmann, the famous German Theologian, saw in the temptation narrative a major clue to Luke’s theology. The public ministry of Jesus is the “Satan-free” period; the devil returns to assail Jesus in the passion (Lk 22:3). Thus, Luke deliberately links the temptation story with the passion. The three replies of Jesus to the three temptations: a) Man shall not live by bread alone, b) You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve, c) You shall not tempt the Lord your God, lay the foundation for the single-minded commitment to God’s will for him that characterized the whole course of Jesus’ ministry and finally led him to the cross. We too will triumph if we heed this course of action, ‘Thy will be done.’       

Fr Tom Kunnel, C.O