First
Sunday of Lent
(Deuteronomy
26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13)
Few
children of the great of history were as
successful as their parents. Alexander the Great surpassed the exploits of his
father, Philip of Macedon. But the sons of Lincoln did not have his political
sagacity. Neither the children of Pele or Mardones could match the athletic
prowess of their fathers. In the gospel today the devil calls Jesus “Son of
God”. He only repeats what God himself said of Jesus at his Baptism. What does
it mean to be the “Son of God”? We learn its meaning in the drama of Jesus'
trials in the desert. We also learn we are to live as God’s sons and daughters.
The first
test is the desire to satisfy hunger. Jesus has a great appetite after forty
days of fasting. The devil challenges him to satisfy the need by turning a
stone into bread. Certainly the "Son of God" can make such a
conversion. But, knowing who it is that invites him to eat, Jesus rejects the
offer. The "Son of God" lives by the word of God, not the word of the
devil.
By our Baptism
we have become members of the family of God. We too must live more to fulfill
the will of our Father than to satisfy our desires. That is why we try to
discipline our desires during Lent. We fast from food so that our desires do
not dominate us. The Church requires that we refrain from the meat of land animals
on the Fridays of Lent. It would be helpful if we also abstain from other
favorite foods and drinks.
We have
just seen a huge case of the desire for power. No person of good will can
justify the invasion of Ukraine. But we have to remember that such a desire
exists in each of us in a tiny way. Each of us wants to impose his will on
others. We want others to hear our stories and watch our TV shows. The will to dominate
the peoples of the world comprises the second temptation of Jesus. According to
the devil, as the "Son of God" everyone must bow before Jesus in
submission. However, his proposal does not attract the attention of Jesus. He
knows that any power conjured by the devil would surely corrupt him. More
importantly, the "Son of God" does not come to be served but to
serve.
Finally,
the devil tempts Jesus with vanity. If he is the “Son of God”, can Jesus not
presume that the Father would rescue him when he finds himself in a precarious
situation? To verify his relationship with God, the devil challenges Jesus to
throw himself off the top of the Temple. However, Jesus knows that by putting
himself at risk like this he would not be trusting his Father but rather
tempting him. It is a temptation that people today are susceptible to. Many
think that they are children of God by their mere existence as human persons.
And because they are children, they can do what they want without worrying
about the consequences. This is a mistaken notion of God's goodness. Although
we are his children, we must ask him for help with prayer. Equally necessary we
must fulfill his law. Religion without love for God and neighbor is pure
vanity.
Because of
the sacrifice of Jesus we are sons and daughters of God. Like him, we are very
loved by our Father. Especially during Lent we show our love for God in return.
We fast to remain in solidarity with Jesus in the desert. We pray to give him
due attention. And we increase our works of charity to fulfill his law of love.
