Many people struggle with the idea of devils, like the one we encounter in today’s Gospel. Do they really exist? However we feel about devils, we know that evil is real. We see it daily in the lost lives of innocent people killed in wars, acts of terrorism or murdered, in greedy people who abuse power, in the oppression of the poor. There’s evil with the big capital-E and there are the many little evils that lure us daily, in the form of temptations.
A shopkeeper, seeing a boy hanging about outside where there was a tempting display of various fruits, asked him, “What are you trying to do, young man? Steal my apples?” The boy replied,“No, sir, I’m trying not to!” That is the challenge we face daily.
Temptations attract us all the time, not just out in the wilderness with a devil seducing us with great things. He’s a smooth salesman, offering what he thinks would be most attractive to Jesus. Now,if you had been fasting for 40 days, wouldn’t you be eager for some delicious bread? Since you’re divine, why not enjoy the power that being God should bring? Wouldn’t you want to show everyone all that you can do? After all, you have angels at your command! Yet Jesus refuses to take the bait, declining all of them. The devil then “departed from him for a time.”
That’s the truly frightening thing about the devil. He never gives up; instead, he waits for another opportune time to try again. Temptations keep coming back to draw us away from God. Temptations happen any where and any time. They’re big and little; that second piece of pie, padding the expense account, cheating on the exam, telling the boss you were late because the ferry line was long, when you actually slept in an extra half hour.
If you resist the temptation to do bad things in the first place, you won’t hurt anyone and you won’t have anything to confess. But let’s not kid ourselves; we keep falling, tripping over ourselves,doing stupid things, often giving into some temptations without considering their consequences.
Ultimately, God vanquishes evil, but in the meantime, what do we do? First, let’s not pretend that these temptations don’t exist. They’re real, cropping up when we least expect them. Some, likeJesus’ first temptation, tweak our desire for something to satisfy what we consider a real need. If I’m on a diet, trying to lose a few pounds and I’m hungry, the temptation to eat that chocolate chip cookie is nagging at me, and it is strong.
Like the Boy Scout whose motto is “Be Prepared,” we need to be prepared to resist temptations when they arise. But what does that involve? Well, if I were on a diet, I shouldn’t leave a bag of cookies lying around. Instead, I should try to have beneficial healthy snacks near by, and drink plenty of water. If the temptations are spiritual in nature, prayer would be the best preparation and there is no better time to work on one’s prayer life than the season of Lent. This is the time to take a closer look at ourselves and ask God to help us do better.
Jesus’ second temptation was about power – to have all the glory and authority that would bring the world to his feet. Many celebrities, whose stories we read, fall prey to the same temptation that the devil presented Jesus. “I will give you the glory of the world if you will worship me.” They take the bait and they fall. We judge. But could any of us say that we wouldn’t fall as well if we had their athletic or artistic talents? Resist the temptation to judge others. Instead of worrying about their shortcomings, we should look at our sins and temptations.
The appropriate response to any temptation to judge others can be found in the proverb, “There but for the grace of God, go I”When that temptation arises, it might be more fitting to say the Jesus prayer: “Lord, Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Since we all sin, we really shouldn’t judge one another. In the Gospel of John, Jesus cautions the crowd: “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.” None of us meet that criterion, so when we see that someone – a friend, a family member, or someone famous – has fallen, we must pray for God to help them, to give them the grace they need.
The third temptation was a test: if Jesus threw himself off the cliff, would the angels truly come to rescue him? Show me you are truly God! One temptation we struggle with all the time is to appear smarter, richer, prettier, or more powerful for the sake of being loved. Keep in mind; we are beloved children of God. What more do we need to be? God loves you and me unconditionally. Prayer is the answer to resisting the temptation toward feeling unloved.
Our conversation with God through prayer really matters. We hear God’s voice in today’s Psalm: “No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near…for to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways.” God is there, always endeavoring to keep us safe from harm.
Temptations are there, but they are merely an annoying low-level buzz compared to what God offers, as long as we ask. In this holy time of Lent, look at the temptations in your own life, whatever they may be and ask God to help you see them for what they are, things that separate you from God. Pray that the angels enable you to see them as foolish things, and give you the strength to resist them. Know that God will help, and when you fall to temptation, he will offer his love to help you back up.