+ The temptations of Jesus were not a necessity for him, but they were for us! Jesus himself was well equipped to dismiss any temptation to do evil always – but he submitted to the temptation process in the desert on our behalf and for our instruction. Jesus always knew what he was about! He left heaven as Word of God for a single purpose: to redeem the pitiable human creations who turned down life and happiness for a moment of power, prestige and pleasure. And nothing could deter him from his purpose!
Just as our first parents were tempted to sin by Satan along the lines of power, prestige and pleasure – so too was Jesus – so too are we. But the way Jesus handled it ought to be a lesson for us that could save our spiritual necks some day! When tempted to pleasure – to satisfy our earthly desires and appetites Jesus says: there are other more important things that will satisfy eternally – go for them (go for the gold), leave everything things alone! When tempted to prestige – to be "someone" in a world of equals – realize that there is only one God and you are not him. When tempted to power – to "lord it over" others just for the rush of it – don't even give any indication that you are interested, for there is only one who holds all power and it is not you or anyone you know: cooperation here, leads to true success.
The first reading today is about the people of Israel at last, and at least temporarily, giving God what is his due because they seemingly understand all that he has done for them in saving them from their enemies. They make an offering of the firstfruits of their soil to him! This as a foreshadowing on how they will be even moreso saved by a descendant of theirs who would destroy the one true enemy, Satan, and break his power forever! This descendant, this Jesus, is the one who is confessed in the second reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. Those who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved!
It is now up to us, who have claimed a share in this salvation on the day of our baptisms, to renew our faith and our trust and our hope in Jesus – who endured temptation and ignominy and a brutal death for us so that we could free ourselves more easily from temptations and ultimately death itself – so that we could be accountable to God for the deeds of our own volition – giving him glory, praise, thanks, honor and adoration at all the hours of the day and night – either directly or indirectly – by what we think and say and do!
Let us use these days and weeks of Lent to do just that: learn how to handle temptations to pleasure, prestige and power when they come our way: to put our focus on where it rightly belongs: the things of heaven; and to thank God at every turn for all that he does for us, his unworthy but trusting children!
God bless you!
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