Pray and Reflect

First Sunday Of Lent – Cycle C

Deuteronomy 26: 4-10; Romans 10: 8-13; 

Luke 4: 1-13

In Luke's account of the Gospel, Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately following this, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days of prayer, fasting and reflection. But why does he do this?

At his baptism, Jesus heard God say, “You are my beloved son: with you I am well pleased.” Was Jesus surprised to hear this? Maybe he was. Jesus already knew in his deepest soul how close he was to the Father. Yet Jesus was also fully and completely human. So perhaps in his human awareness he was surprised. Jesus had studied the scriptures ever since he was a boy, at the knees of his parents. He knew that a savior was promised. And now this glorious announcement from heaven proclaims “you are my beloved son.” Only now were things starting to click into place. He was the chosen one.

Jesus needed time to ponder and interpret this revelation. He had to listen again, over and over, in silence and solitude. He went to the desert. There he prayed and fasted for forty days. It was there, during this time of reflection, that Jesus discerned his vocation. It was there that Jesus decided what form his ministry would take. It was there that Jesus chose to devote himself freely and totally to building up the Kingdom of God.

After the forty days was completed, the devil approaches Jesus in his weakened condition and tempts him. The first temptation is for Jesus to satisfy himself physically. Change this stone to bread and be hungry no longer. We face similar temptations. We live in a society of instant gratification. We have our smart phones, our i-pods, our kindles and our flat screen TV's. We need our fix – whether it's entertainment, information, communication or the accumulation of more stuff. We want it now, and there are ways to get it now. But Jesus rejects this sort of behavior.

The second task is for Jesus to satisfy himself socially and politically. The whole world is his to command if only he renounces God. We face similar temptations. As individuals we dominate, discriminate and oppress as we scale the corporate ladder to personal success. As nations we seek to control others through war, ethnic cleansing or economic means. We turn a blind eye as our brothers and sisters suffer pain through poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness and death. But Jesus rejects this sort of behavior.

The final challenge is for Jesus to satisfy his ego by controlling God himself. The devil takes Jesus to the parapet of the temple and, using scripture, dares him to throw himself down. God will keep him safe. We face similar temptations. We use the scriptures to justify our beliefs and actions and to condemn others whose beliefs and actions may be contrary to our own. We hide behind ancient texts and outdated traditions that empower some while excluding others. We all want to think that God is on our side and so we twist and contort the sacred words to fit our reality. But Jesus rejects this sort of behavior.

These forty days of lent is an opportunity for each of us to pray and reflect on our own lives. Let this be a time to seek forgiveness with God and to discern our own vocations. Let this be a time to reflect on our situations and to reject the temptations that we encounter, both as individuals and as a community. Let this be a time to commit ourselves freely and totally to building up the Kingdom of God.

Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
First Sunday of Lent
February 17, 2013