We find Jesus alone and hungry in the desert. With perfect timing, the devil arrives with three attractive propositions. He tried to use his power to tempt Jesus with sensual pleasure and comfort, then worldly recognition and pride, and finally, despair and vanity. In each case, Jesus withstood the devil’s efforts to seduce him.
What we all have in common is being seduced by certain temptations that lead to sin. Consider the three temptations that Jesus dealt with. He had been fasting for forty days, not like you and I did on Ash Wednesday, but literally fasting during all that time. In an effort to turn him away from God’s plan of redemption, the devil tempts Jesus to use his power to turn stone into bread, putting his comfort ahead of his Father’s will. Food or any other want is good but it won’t satisfy us for long or fill our hearts.
The devil then takes Jesus to a mountaintop and shows him the whole world. I have been to the place that tradition says was the spot and it was breathtaking. The devil tells him, “I will give you all this and more if you bow down and worship me.” Success is good but it too is fleeting and won’t last forever or fill our hearts.
Then the devil suggests that Jesus throw himself off the temple because the angels would save him. Imagine how this would have really impressed onlookers, launching his public ministry with such a daring stunt. The esteem of onlookers is good but that too could be short-lived and would not fill our hearts.
Each time Jesus told the devil, “None of these things, comfort, pride, or vanity, makes a person truly happy. I will choose my Father’s will above all else.”
We think of temptation as a path to sin but for many early Christians, temptation was also a time of testing if one would choose to be faithful or unfaithful to God. In the gospel, we find Jesus passing the test with flying colors. Lent is a season for us to test our faithfulness to God as well.
The devil, whose name in Greek means “the deceiver,” has a bottomless sack of tricks available for his use including the notion that he doesn’t even exist! His approach and method vary from person to person but his motive and strategy remain the same. Each time the devil succeeds in luring us away from God, the next temptation becomes a bit stronger and the next fall becomes a bit easier. Before long, we become hooked and possibly oblivious to the gravity of our own sins. The first sin may be trite such as telling a white lie and be considered venial but before long the sin of lying can become mortal, for example, leading to perjury or malicious gossip, harmful to our relationship with God and others.
Our temptations are similar to what Jesus experienced; the lure of comfort, power, and pride can and do distract us from growing in our relationship with God.
Consider the impact that the pandemic has had on your faith and your relationship with Christ. Attendance at Mass is a fraction of what we had before we were compelled to limit seating and require reservations. In due time, we were allowed to do away with reservations and increase the seating but many continue to stay away, tempted to stay home. For months we were not obligated to attend Mass but now anyone in good health and younger than 65 is obliged to. This temptation is a test of our faith, which we face every weekend. Do I remain comfortable in my home or worship God at Mass with my faith community?
My fear as time goes on is that many will continue to be tempted by the devil to forego attending Mass and being nurtured by the graces they once received from worshiping God. For good reason, we are obliged to feed our spiritual hunger regularly just as we feed our physical hunger. Lent is an opportune time to fall back into the habit of worshipping God if you have been away.
We need not be afraid of the devil and his temptations. St. Augustine compares the devil to a dog tied to post. He can only harm us if we get within his range. In our often-recited prayer, one composed by Jesus himself, we ask our Father to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” I cannot picture God ever leading us into temptation but God endeavors to deliver us from evil. He sent his son into our lives to save us from the evil one.
If we are inclined to dismiss the notion of church authority or believe we can be good Christians without the sacraments or the moral guidance of the Church, then we are being tempted to ignore the very tools we need for staying clear of evil and out of trouble that could imperil our relationships with God and others.
Lent is a time to look beyond this world to our eternal home. During Lent we are encouraged to do things that will bring us closer to Christ or give up doing something that keeps us from serving Christ more wholeheartedly. Whenever I decide to do something special for Lent, after a couple of weeks I discover that 40 days is a long time, and I begin to let my good intentions slip to the wayside. I imagine that is your experience as well. You will be greatly blessed if you persevere through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. By resisting temptations that lure you away from deepening your faith, this season can draw you closer to Christ.