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Lent is here. Jesus is tempted. As are we.
But it is often difficult to understand the scriptural
temptations, as found in the
Gospel. Let us look at them. They will help us with our own.
(1) First is food. Jesus has been on a major
fast, and the devil knows it. “Don’t worry!” he says. “You
are rich! You are God! You can have all the food you want.
Just turn this rock into bread!”
“The Father’s words are bread enough for me,” Jesus says.
(2) Second, what about honor? The devil says,
“You can be the great one whom everyone respects! Think
about how good that would feel. Side with me! OK,
technically you would be worshipping me, but if you
understand things my way, you are just taking care of
‘number one.’ Try it.”
Jesus’ quiet response: “I pledge myself to the Lord my
God, not to you. Such honors would tear me apart.”
(3) Third, pride. The devil: “You know that
heaven must do whatever you command! Jump off this temple
roof and prove your importance! Angels will rush down from
heaven to catch you! Everyone will admire you! Come on,
show us what you’ve got!”
Jesus: “Yes I am very close to heaven and to God. But hear
this. I choose to let God’s gentle, quiet love be my life.
Not pride.”
Three temptations and three balanced, humble answers.
Jesus knew how to hear his Abba’s words over the devil’s
babble, and he would not desert the great love of his
life, God.
The devil, canny, resolves to try again later (on the
cross).
This analysis should make it easier to understand our own
temptations. Check it out this Lent. Possessions? Cars,
books, clothes, appearance, and so on. You know the kind
of list we could each make. Eating too much. Buying too
much. Sexual lures. Holding our tongue when fairness
demands that we speak out. Speaking out when we should be
quiet. OK, these are just human foibles but they are also
traps. “Look away from God,” they say. “He is outmoded
anyway. Be interested in yourself. No one else is.”
And honors? Do you ever try to please other people so they
will have a good opinion of you? We used to call this
“human respect.” What would happen if your son or daughter
were thrown off the team at school? How did you react when
you lost your job? And so on.
Americans still sit at their desks or cars or kitchen
tables, working hard, worrying about meetings and
deadlines, wondering if they can live up to their own
expectations and those of others. Or how to just keep
their jobs. We say we have essential work to do. We are
important. What we do makes us worthwhile.
Temptations.
Could this Lent be the right time to unscramble your
values? Since God is the most wonderful and loving being
anywhere, do you really want to block him out with lesser,
undependable desires, especially those that boil down to
riches, honors or pride? Isn’t this true: whatever really
counts in your life is actually rooted in the love of God
and not the other way around.
Here is how Jesus put it: “Love the Lord your God above
all things and love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk 12:30-31).
John Foley S. J.
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