Jesus’ Temptations
by Fr. Gus Carter
2/ 13/ 05

Sometimes in understanding Scripture it helps to be a bit of a poet. The short passage we read today about human creation says volumes: "The Lord God formed man out of clay and the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life." the author of the Book of Genesis imagines the Lord forming humans with his own hands and breathing life into him. He sees creation as a very personal act. God knows each of us personally as Psalm 139 says: "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb." Such attention to detail expresses God's love for each of us. We have been made with exquisite care. Reflecting on every part of our lives can be a journey into love and into a sense of the astounding power of our God. All our Creator's love and power are bent on making us marvelous creatures who are able to share divine life and love.

As we reflect on how we will use the Lenten season to draw closer to our God, we must not forget to recall often how much we are loved. Concentrating only on making sacrifices can make life seem grim. However, making sacrifices out of love, to express love, can make the time of Lent a joy.

In the second reading St. Paul acknowledges the dire consequences of God allowing sin into the world. And yet Paul writes: "How much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of justification come to reign in life through Jesus Christ." We are offered the opportunity to lead Christ-like lives. We can rely on the power of Christ to make it possible for us to live lives of creative love.

The Gospel says, "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." "Tempted" can mean "tested," an opportunity for Jesus to express his love for the Father. It was the Spirit, the love of God, who would be with Jesus in his time of testing which in one sense was his whole life. This is one of the moments in Jesus' life when he demonstrated how the love of God conquers sin and death. The tests given to Jesus were similar to those offered the Israelite in the desert under the leadership of Moses. They reflect major tests in the life of each human being.

Jesus' hunger makes us mindful of the hunger of the Israelite during their forty years in the desert. A food shortage developed, and the people complained that God had abandoned them. They lacked trust in the Lord's promise to provide for them on their journey. Jesus was tempted to feed himself contrary to the way laid out for him by his Creator. Like Adam and Eve in the first reading we are all tempted to live our lives our own way rather than how we are commanded by our God. There are times when we are tempted to cheat to make sure we get what we want. We spend time that belongs to our family and friends to accomplish unnecessary financial gain. In our use of time we need to remember our obligations to our Lord. Living without heeding the word of God makes our time on earth trivial. Attention to the word of God grounds our lives in the truth, in ultimate reality.

Miracles had their place in Jesus' life, but they were to be used to glorify God, not to draw special attention to Jesus. Do not "put the Lord your God to the test." We are not to set up situations in which we ask God to prove divine presence and goodness in our lives. We have signs of the Creator's presence and goodness all around us. We must make the effort to read them. Signs of God's goodness are so plentiful that it is ridiculous to ask Almighty God to prove himself The Lord's presence and goodness are obvious to anyone who makes an effort to be aware.

The third temptation for Jesus was to seek and attend to created things in the place of God. Idolatry, practiced by the Hebrews in the absence of Moses, is a constant human temptation. We are inclined to put many things in the place of our duties to our Creator. Over the years many persons have told me of their desire to pray with greater depth. Finding time, they said, is their greatest obstacle. Lent can be a special occasion to learn how to get into the habit of giving quality time to our Lord.'

All the quotes from Scripture that Jesus used in today's Gospel come from the Book of Deuteronomy. Remember that in all the incidents of the Gospel Jesus is teach us how to live. Today we are advised that we must live according to the word of God. All our duties to the Lord are of primary importance in our lives. Finally, we are told to trust in our Creator's promises. The same Book of Deuteronomy summarizes all of our life choices. The Lord speaks to us: "I set before you life and death... choose life... by loving the Lord your God, heeding his voice and holding fast to him."