1st Sunday of Lent, year ’C’
14th February, 2016
"Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, for forty days being put to the test by the devil. During that time he ate nothing and at the end was hungry. Then the devil said to him, ’If you are Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.’ But Jesus replied ’Man does not live by bread alone.’
At the baptism of John the Baptist, Jesus received this beautiful recognition from the Father, and now the Holy Spirit leads him to the desert to put him to the test.
What Jesus lives during these forty days is just like anything anyone else goes through. The stake is to believe in spiritual dimension of our existence, for it is the Holy Spirit who is our life and who animates us.
Jesus is in a state of vulnerability and going through pain when he is confronted with the Liar. In a perfidious way, the Devil tries to get power over the Father. It is aware how Jesus has a real authority, he multiplies bread in an astonishing manner. The liar wants Jesus to get out of the Loving Filiation with the Father! Whilst he goes hungry, Jesus knows that he has to wait for the Time of God.
"Then leading him to a height, the devil showed him in a moment of time all the kingdoms of the world and said to him, ’I will give you all this power and their splendour, for it has been handed over to me, for me to give it to anyone I choose.Do homage, then to me, and it shall be yours.’ But Jesus answered him ’You must do homage to the Lord your God, Him alone you must serve.’
In order to face up to everything, the devil proposes the quick solution! Attacking Jesus on what gives meaning, Jesus will give up the spiritual freedom of expressing himself.
The devil suggests to Jesus to go right tot he end of his universal mission in giving him power over peoples.Testing Jesus in his identity giving him to bring about an exploit, coming and putting doubt on the strength of the Father. Jesus will give up free Word come from His Father.
In this way, Temptations attack freedom and truth of the relationship in time and in space. They deny the possibility for freedom and truth to be spread forth.
Jesus replies just by quoting simple quotes from the Bible, the Word of God :’It is written : ’You must do homage to the Lord your God, Him alone you must serve.’
Jesus doesn’t enter into temptation, he remains in the poor and simple condition of humanity and this helps him to respect the Word of God that gives Him the Holy Spirit. He says just what we should all say when faced with temptation.Thus He offers in this way the conditions of dialogue in truth with Him, the Beloved Son of the Father.
Our life, too, can also be spent in a great desert, where we seek for the meaning of human life- this is when ’the angel of darkness changes into an angel of light.’
With Jesus we need to hold out, be firm, and live from the Holy Spirit.
"Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and set him on the parapet of the Temple. ’If you are Son of God ’he said ’throw yourself down from here, for scripture says :
’He has given his angels orders about you, to guard you,’ and again : ’They will carry you in their arms in case you trip over a stone.’
But Jesus answered it ’Scripture says ’Do not put he Lord your God to the test.’
Having exhausted every way of putting him to the test, the devil left Him, until the opportune moment."
The liar doesn’t act as if it is overcome, taking Jesus on the top of the Temple, slyly taking the Word of God to quote in an underhand way :
’’You won’t be hurt!’
Jesus answers :’You shall not tempt the Lord God.’
The ordeal has been gone through now, and a new period opens up for Jesus who is going to bring to the world a real dialogue in Truth.
Jesus opens up for us a realistic way, I can place myself in a state of adoration so as to discern in faith the Will of God. Jesus is the King of the world and in following Him, we remain the beloved child of the Father.
He wants us to be re- established in this link of Love with our Father in Heaven, re- establishing us in this filiation so that we become more confident and all filled with Love.
Thus we get ready to live this great feast of Easter. It is by His Love that Jesus is victorious over death. We want to follow him humbly, step by step, each day, liberated from every evil, so as to find once more our freedom.