Temptation - First Sunday in Lent

First Sunday in Lent March 1, 2020

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Matthew 4:1-11 

So often we talk about temptation as overindulging in food or other consumables, when in truth the temptations in most of our lives come as selfishness and abuse of power. We might resist the cookie but not give up our seat for a handicapped person. We might pride ourselves in charity and do it only for the attention and honor it garners. We can talk a good, pious game and take advantage of weaker people on a daily basis.

Jesus goes into the wilderness. This is one of the only stories in the Gospel where Jesus is completely alone. This is a critical moment in his ministry, because he must of regularly told on himself about these days in the wilderness. He must have wrestled with his humanity, his divinity and capacity and told his followers how important this time was. We are invited to wrestle with our temptations, to use our power and privilege inappropriately. We are invited to acknowledge our humanity and our need, as we start this Lenten season, to be brutally honest of how we are tempted.

Today, I ask God to help me be honest about the ways I am drawn away from God and community. May we all wrestle honestly with our brokenness, so that the light of Christ might truly shine through us.



Collect
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.