First Sunday of Lent - A MT 4:1-11 Sts. Peter & Paul (Mankato) No one acts without a motive. We get out of bed in the morning because we have to go to work, to school, or simply to the bathroom. We carry-out jobs to provide for our family, to pay the bills, or to offer some service to others. We study to get good grades, to get out of trouble, or because we really want to learn. Everyone has a motive behind their work. So what’s Christ’s motive? The Church Fathers teach us that in all things, Christ acts, not motivated by necessity, but by initiative. Everything He does, He does it to redeem us and to teach us. In today’s Gospel we see Jesus being led into the desert where He fasts, prays, and is tempted. He did it for our instruction, says St. John Chrysostom. So, what does He teach us? 1. The dignity of our Baptism. 2. How to triumph over temptation. 1. The dignity of our Baptism. After what great event did the Spirit lead Jesus into the desert to be tempted? After His Baptism in the Jordan. We cannot read these events separately. They are connected. Our Baptism, we have to understand, was a call to arms. We should be reminded of Our Lord’s words, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force (Mt 11:12). Jesus is led into the desert, to “wrestle with Satan”, says St. John Chrysostom, in order that each of us who are baptized, if after our baptism we have to endure greater temptations may not be troubled as if it were something unexpected, but may “nobly continue”, he says “as though it were happening in the natural course of things.” There we have it, folks. Temptations are a part of a normal Christian life. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be scandalized by them. Don’t despair over them. Look to Christ. See in His temptation, your victory! There are several reasons why we benefit, post Baptism, through temptations. (Obviously understanding that it is in rejecting them that we “gain” anything. Falling into temptation is not what God seeks.) 1. Temptations remind us of the dignity of our Baptism. Satan does not need to trap someone who doesn’t belong to him. It was because of their dignity that Satan tempted Adam and Eve and Job and Christ. 2. Temptations teach us prudence. We learn prudence from our mistakes and in recognizing our weakness. 3. Temptations show the devil where we stand. “I will not serve” 4. Temptations make us stronger. Through rejecting them we grow in virtue. 2. How to triumph over temptation. “He could have kept the devil from himself; but if he were not tempted he could not teach you how to triumph over temptation.” (St. Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms) 1. We should avoid isolation. The great benefit of fostering family life, having good friendships, and belonging to a community is that it helps us overcome temptations. Looking at today’s Gospel we see that Jesus was led, not into a city, nor a market place, but a desert, to be tempted. It is His loneliness that Jesus uses to bait the devil. The devil “especially will attack us,” writes St. John Chrysostom, “when he sees us alone and separated from each other.” That’s how Satan tempted Eve—when her husband wasn’t around. 2. We should know our Scriptures. By knowing Scripture, we provide ourselves with an arsenal of divine truth. This truth is important in the moment of temptation, because Satan is the “father of lies”. His work is to bring us to a lack of faith, by sowing doubts. If we know the truth of Scripture, we will not fall into His traps. This means we need to both read the Scriptures and meditate on them. In today’s Gospel we especially see the importance of truly knowing the Scriptures in the second temptation, when Satan tries to provoke Jesus’ divine power. Jesus uses Scripture to rebuke Satan in the first temptation, Deuteronomy 8:3, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. To which Satan says, “Okay, it takes two to tango, so here’s some Scripture for you” which leads us to the second temptation, “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.’” Now, the problem with Satan’s use of Scripture is that he quotes it rightly, but understands it wrongly. (Which, btw, is common among those who do not actually study and meditate on Scripture.) If we really think about it, does God show His power by “throwing himself down”? No. God shows His power by “raising others up”. (Jesus’ miracles) 3. We overcome the devil by patient endurance…not by marvelous power. Three times Jesus is tempted, and three times He rebukes Satan. And He never loses His cool. One of the things that makes temptations more difficulty is the anxiety we bring to them. Satan feeds on anxiety, thus we need to learn how to remain calm and fight-off temptations as taught by the Lord. The best tactic—flee every temptation. Don’t dialogue with the devil. Eve did and she eventually fell. Jesus could dialogue because He’s God…we’re not. So, every temptation must be rejected immediately, by drawing our hearts and minds to something else. Pray. Read. Go talk to someone. Get out of the room and situation you are in. Go for a walk. This is especially true for any temptation against purity. I’ve rattled on for long enough now. In conclusion, after having heard today’s Gospel and this homily, in the face of temptation let us remember to look to Christ: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).
