Sharing the Word – March-10-2019 – First Sunday in Lent, Cycle C

Readings; First Reading, Deuteronomy 26: 4 – 10

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 90:1-2, 10–15                   

2nd Reading, Romans 10: 8 -13                  

Gospel, Luke 4: 1 -13.

 In the Gospel of today, Luke narrates the temptations of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness. Just after Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert, where He prays and fasts for forty days and nights. When he is very tired and overwhelmed with hunger, the devil appears, with all sorts of lofty promises. 

It is not the first time in the Bible, we are reading about people going off to a quiet place to take inventory of the past through prayer and fasting.  Our biblical knowledge tells us that Moses, Elijah  and John the Baptist did the same.  In our normal day lives, we too need such quiet moments to take stock of the past. All systems do for better performance. Cars and other machines need to be overhauled. Trees shed their leaves before taking on new ones.  All these, being times of rejuvenation. The only difference with Christ’s own is that, while there, He was tempted by the devil. Biblical students give us two reasons for this. 

Jesus’ temptation  gives us an insight of His might and selflessness. When He is very tired and hungry, the devil tells Him to turn stone into bread. It is quite easy for Jesus to do this. Of course, later on, we find him changing water into wine, multiplying two fish and five loaves of bread to feed multitudes. He could equally challenge the devil by changing the stone into bread, but He refused to use His power for His own benefit. In another instance in the Garden of Gethsemane, He is overwhelmed with anguish and His body is weak. He cries out to His Father,  for the cup (suffering) to be taken away from Him, if it is possible, but concludes that it should not be His will but His Father’s will. He did not let His feelings to influence His actions. 

We are also made to know that no sacrifice is too great and no dream too challenging. Jesus knows just how overwhelming temptation can be and how it can sweep us away. So He is ready to forgive us when we are tempted, if and only if we stop, take stock of our wrongs, and turn back to Him for forgiveness. 

We are called during lent to make some sacrifices. We are reminded of alms-giving, prayer and fasting.  It is time for personal and community prayer. A time for selfless sacrifices! Self denial, so that we can grow spiritually. We have a lot of passions. Jesus wants us to give up some of these passions for this spiritual growth. Maybe your passion is food, a lot of it. You should fast! Maybe your passion is drink, give it up! Maybe it is domination and power. Too much expenditure on leisure, reduce it? Smoking? We all have passions! Name them all. 

Temptation is everything that makes us look small, ugly and mean. The devil uses the trickiest moves that we cannot think of and mostly when we are victims of circumstances like poverty, hunger, ignorance, prejudice, oppression, abuse, violence and other circumstances when we are driven beyond endurance. This is when we have our own desert experiences.

At such times the devil appears with lofty empty promises. We recall in one of William Shakespeare’s work, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ that the devil will even quote scriptures for his own purpose. The devil uses such moments when you are going through your own desert experience.

 We each have our own desert experiences, no matter where we find ourselves. These are times of trials and weakness. We can transform these times of trials and temptations into times of abundant life. This is possible when we use the experience of Jesus to call on God to sustain us through. When we ask for God’s grace to resist our sinful natures. At this times, we should approach His throne of grace with confidence, so that we can turn these moments into times of encounter and renewal. 

At this time of lent, we are not called to self denial so that we can save for increase consumption or activity in the future. If it is truly, selfless, then it must be given out to others who are in need. If you usually had three meals a day and you decide to fast by having only one, let the other two meals you should have had go to those who do not have. If you drank two bottles of beer everyday, and you decide to drink less or go without, for self denial, let the amount you have given up go to help others in another way. If we accumulate all what we should have had during lent, just to double consumption afterwards, we are not self-denying! We are simply saving for future days. That is not what Jesus is asking us to do. He gives up all in His power to fulfil His father’s will and save us. So, we should do same, for the sake of our very next. Let it be our own decision and choice. A principle we should keep all through this period without being forced. We should also know that a principle-less life is a hopeless one. It does not matter how little the principle may be. 

We must avoid procrastination, which the English say,  is the thief of time. We must not be forced by circumstances beyond our control to sacrifice either. It must be within our power, to be real sacrifice. I find it a lot more difficult not to break my own rules.  When the devil appears with its “if” questions, we are often tempted to procrastinate and promise to do the good things later. Our competitive world has made us selfish and uncaring. You should make up your mind to do something about it. If you do not hope to convert even one person, begin with the person you know best – yourself. 

But where shall I begin? I know that I am selfish, vain and bitter, proud and unforgiving, domineering at home and at work. I could be kinder, gentler and more considerate. Don’t I believe myself? Begin now or you go back to the usual way of ‘after all, I can reform myself tomorrow’. 

Our own devil is right there in us and manifests itself so many times each day.  I once asked some elementary school children to make drawings/paintings of what they conceive the devil to be. You would not believe me! Their imaginations will bid you. Most drew monsters, with scary horns, long nails, painted black, long sharp teeth, naked, etc. It took me all the time to let them know that devils come in nicely coloured suits/blouses, good shoes, good cars, talk nicely, with gifts, and even quote the bible. That most, of the times, we are the devil. I doubt how many really got convinced. 

All in all, we must not be each other’s devil. I am sure, some of us will be much worse devils than the one that came to tempt our Lord, Jesus. At least, we see a lot more happening around us, by us, and on us  than the peaceful temptations of Jesus. Let there be true decisions for real principles,  this time of lent and forever. 

A Little Prayer! 

Lord Jesus, Thank You for giving me your Holy Spirit to help me in my weakness. Let Him guide, console and lead me not into  temptation but into the paths of justice, peace, and love. May I be faithful and have the courage to turn to You for grace to accept who I am and where I should be. Amen. 

Have Blessed Week!

Bobe Talla Toh