Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period of Lent that we Catholics always observe. After all, of the 365 days in a year or the 52 weeks of a year, we only devote two weeks for the Lord, in Christmas time to celebrate his birthday and on Holy Week, to remember how he suffered and died for us on the cross even though he had no sin. But he did bear all that mocking and suffering so that humankind can be saved.
Today’s gospel is about the Temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which you can read in Matt.4: 1-11. While we know that Jesus was the Son of God, he too was a human being, just like us and just like all of us, he was tempted by the devil. But the huge difference is… he thwarted the attempts by the devil to tempt him… while all of us humans, succumb to the wiles and temptation of the evil one.
“1 Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” 7Jesus answered him “Again it is written ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test.’”
8Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence 9 and said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At this time, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came to minister to him.”
Can you picture yourself in the sandals or in the shoes of Jesus… where the devil tempts you and you are able to resist him? I doubt it! Yes, because we think as humans do… we’d probably succumb to the temptation of the devil because of our human weakness and frailty. Of course it is easy for us to say that we ordinary mortals cannot be compared to Jesus who is divinity personified.
While I will not argue with that, however if you read the second sentence of today’s gospel, you will note that before the devil tempted him our Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights. If God who became man can fast for more than a month… who are we to complain that we are to fast and abstain every Friday for the season of Lent? Indeed, too little sacrifice is asked of us, while the God man suffered greatly for our sins.
St. Paul too was tempted during his ministry, which we can read in 2 Cor.12: 7-9 “7 Because of the abundance of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this that it might leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak then I am strong.”
Let me emphasize to you that the devil comes to us not in the hideous form that we’ve read in books or seen in the movies, an ogre with horns a tail and carrying a trident. Too often, it comes from a man with a glib tongue who boosts our often too inflated egos. This can come in a form of a person telling a priest that he should be a monsignor now… or an employee telling his direct boss that he can become the top man of the company.
More often than not, the devil comes as a beautiful woman who gives you a lot of attention even if she knows that you are a happily married man. Being a part of BLD a charismatic group that handles marriage encounters, this is a reality that seems to have almost destroyed many marriages. Hence it takes a person of strong will and character to resist temptation, but if we do fall, and more often than not, we do fall, it is that strong will that allows us to pick up the pieces and beg the Lord for forgiveness because we human beings are just too weak and succumb to temptation.
But as we learned from St. Paul, God often allows us to fall into temptation so that we don’t get too elated, because God’s grace is sufficient enough for us. This is why St. Paul said about his sinfulness, “Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak then I am strong.”
* * *
For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.