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1srt Sunday of Lent
Explanation :
The three temptations are constructed on the same model : words of Satan, Jesus ? response with recourse to Scripture. Jesus ? responses come from Dt 8, 3 ; 6, 16 ; 6, 13. The Order of the quotations is due to the series of events related in Exodus when Israel is put to the test. : Manna (Ex 16), the miracle of water from the rock (Ex 17, 1-7 the Golden Calf (Ex 32). Jesus fulfills the divine word : He refuses to perform miracles for his own benefit (cf. Dt 8, 3 cited in v. 4), to adore the prince of this world in order to reign over the universe (cf. Dt 6, 13 cited in v. 8) and to use his power as Son of God to protect himself and attract people by his prodigies (cf. Dt 6, 16 cited in v. 12).
Meditation :
At his Baptism, the Father revealed Jesus ? identity and his mission to Him. Jesus should live them in the Spirit of the Father that He has received. He is led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The Spirit puts Jesus to the test. In fact, the same verb in Greek can be translated as tempt or try. Then the tempter who tries Jesus in his quality as Son of God. The devil is going to try to lead Jesus into confusion about the divine command as the serpent did with the man and the woman in the garden of Eden. (Gn 3, 1-5). There will take place a struggle between the Spirit and the devil of confusion.
Jesus has fasted and is hungry. The temptation is, then, to suggest to Jesus that, since He is the Son of God, He should change stones into bread. In the desert, the people had made a provision of Manna, the gift of God. Jesus is hungry and confronts the need to eat. Whereas the people had succumbed, Jesus resists the temptation using the lesson that Deuteronomy had drawn from the sin of the people of Israel as his motivation. We learn from this first temptation that the gift of God can become a cause of sin ?.
According to the devil ?s logic, if Jesus can work miracles, it would be normal that He do so for himself. But Jesus refuses that his divine condition serve to avoid the weight of the human condition. But He will do so, that the people may be aware of both the nearness of God and the nearness of the salvation that God wants for them. Because no human can avoid the vicissitudes and difficulties of life as well as the force of evil in his life by performing miracles, Jesus is not going to work one for Himself. For the same reason, he will not throw himself down from the pinnacle or kneel down to adore Satan so He can rule over the kingdoms of this world.
In the second temptation, the devil backs up his temptation with Psalm 91. Jesus replies with a quotation from Deuteronomy : Thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God ? The people who were thirsty in the desert complained to Moses and God and begged for a miracle. In asking for a sign of his presence, they tempted God. Jesus responds using as motive this story of the people of Israel. But He refuses to put God to the test.
In the third temptation, just as the people of Israel were tempted to adore other gods in the desert, Jesus is tempted to adore Satan. Just as the people were tempted to put themselves under the protection of a foreign god, Jesus is tempted to put his Public Life under the guidance of Satan. But He does not want to bring salvation by a show of force.
The invitation is the same for us : an invitation to refuse to use the Word of God to serve our own interests, not to dream of powerful means in our lives. It is an invitation to take care of our relationship with the Father so that, in the moment of temptation, we can count on God.
Perhaps, this Sunday, we can take care of our relationship with the Father so we can face temptation in a godly way as Jesus did. Perhaps we can, this Sunday, say with attention and faith the words of the Our Father : Do not lead us into temptation ? The meaning of this petition is illumined by the text about Gethsemane when Jesus recommends that the disciples pray to God so they will not irreversibly enter into temptation. In facing up to evil, to forces opposing the plan of God, the believer is not up to the task by himself. God alone is the one who vanquishes evil ; the disciple has recourse to trusting prayer to the Father who delivers us from evil.
Remonter