BACKGROUND
Temptations are not sins but can be strong invitation to sin where our will and God’s will clash. Temptations can also be a tool of the devil to wear us down to the point we throw up our hands and make some excuse for saying yes to the devil. We must pray daily for the graces we need to say no to the devil and yes to God. Part of the prayer Jesus taught us, the Our Father, is a plea to not let us fall to temptation but deliver us from evil. Jesus is tempted three times and then the devil leaves Him. “Resist the devil and he will flee.” James 4:7 Just like physical exercise builds up our physical strength, choosing the will of God over Satan builds up our spiritual strength.
The first temptation appealed to Jesus’ hunger. Hunger is not evil per se, for without it, we would perish. But here is the deal, Jesus was led specifically into the desert to fast and pray to prepare for his mission from God the Father. The devil tries to draw Jesus into the sin of yielding to His hunger and using His power inappropriately. Jesus is tempted to set aside His call, to serve Himself, rather than to glorify His Father.
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
“Look,” the devil seems to say, the whole city will see it, you swooped up by angels before you hit ground, you will win all the hearts, this is a better way than God’s way. The devil was appealing to human concupiscence of pride and vain glory. Man’s ways are not always God’s ways. Let’s remember Jesus the Word Incarnate was born in a stable with little fanfare except in a Shepherds field.
It is important to trust God, as inferred by the devil in this temptation, but this is not an invitation to presumption that God will act according to our wishes and to act recklessly. Jesus must act to preserve and protect His life so that he can accomplish His full mission.
Many, today, think, “I can use drugs without becoming addicted. I can have evil friends and still stay good and live morally. I can skip school and still get good grades. I can be promiscuous and won’t get a disease or become pregnant. etc. Many presume that no matter what they do, Heaven is still assured. Do not be deceived; God clearly warns us that sin hardens our hearts and makes our final conversion increasingly unlikely. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows so shall he reap!
Finally, the devil took Jesus up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”
Everything is offered to Jesus in exchange for a little worship of the devil. It may seem strange to us that having an abundance of things would be linked to worshiping the devil and forsaking God; but Scripture attests to this connection elsewhere: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money Matt 6:24. For where a man’s treasure is, there is his heart Matt 6:21.
GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 4:1-11 JESUS IS TEMPTED IN THE DESERT
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
“Get away, Satan!
the Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'”
REFLECTION
Jesus, Human and Divine….Like us in every way but sin, Jesus is tempted in the desert…. We too are tempted in the desert of our souls…Jesus’ temptations are similar to what we face every day…tempted to pleasure, the flesh, …tempted to pride that we are in control…and tempted to power to rule the world
Do I fortify myself like Jesus with prayer and fasting…fasting means much more than not eating food…do I fast from making judgments…do I fast from anger, from unkind thoughts and words…. do I deny myself and choose God’s holy will over mine… do I seek power and glory for myself…or give all glory to God who is all Good and provider of all……All we are and all we have is a gift from God….how do we show our gratitude…
PRAYER
Lord God, Almighty have mercy on me, a sinner. Without your help I am helpless in facing temptation…You have promised us the graces we need to resist if we would only turn to you in humility, acknowledge our weaknesses and beg for your mercy. Teach me to be humble, receive your gifts with gratitude and share with others. I know your gifts are not meant for me alone and no one gets to heaven by themselves. Let me be an instrument of yours by proclaiming the Gospel when it is easy and when it is hard, in Jesus’ name, I pray!