Jesus Battles the Devil!

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Lent, Year C

St. Mary’s of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Temptation is a suggestion to do what is wrong, an enticement to seriously consider doing what is deplorable, and an opinion that rejects the truth, spins lies and tries to use them to our disadvantage. For instance, the expression, “Heaven helps those who help themselves” is an opinion that has variously been used to persuade people to do what is criminal and sinful. Some Christians even contend that it is in the Bible. Although it sounds pious and spiritual but there is no where it is written in the Bible. Temptation, in itself, is not a sin or a crime; but yielding to it may either be one or both. Temptation tests our faith in God. It tests our character too. Our victory or otherwise defeat in it will determine where we stand with God. 

Today’s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13) is the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Jesus was about to begin his public ministry. To adequately prepare himself for it, he went to a desert where he fasted and prayed for forty days. At the end of the marathon and bruising spiritual exercise, he was hungry. Aware of Jesus’ immediate needs at that moment in time, the devil approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus said to him: “One does not live on bread alone.” The devil wanted Jesus to prove that he was the Son of God by performing acts that would gravely betray that very identity. There was nothing essentially wrong in turning a stone into bread, but if Jesus had done that, he would have used his powers selfishly, and he would have obeyed the devil. And obedience to the devil is disobedience to God. Jesus knew his identity all too well, and didn’t need to prove it to the devil by doing the devil’s will. Do we know our identity? Do we really know who we are? Do we know that each of us is a beloved child of God? If we do, then we should not worry about what naysayers, liars and haters are saying about us. We don’t need to prove ourselves to satisfy them. We may never satisfy them. What they say we are, what they say in their gossip about us, is not who we are. We are God’s beloved! That’s our identity. As long as we act as such, we have nothing to worry about. 

Having lost out in the first temptation, the devil took Jesus up and in one instant, showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and then said to him: “I shall give to you all this power and glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” But Jesus replied him: “It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve.” The devil was bitting more than he could chew. He actually wanted the Son of God to worship him. Jesus wants the whole world to acknowledge him as the Lord and Savior, but he cannot achieve that by worshipping a false god. As children of God, are we allowed to pursue our goals by whatever means? Does the end justify the means? Are we supposed to use every available means- good or bad, to achieve our objectives? Jesus says no! The devil’s shortcut shortens our peace and joy. His shortcut is a shortcut to misery, sorrow and eternal damnation.

After the devil’s two attempts to make Jesus cave to his whims and caprices failed, he pushed even further. He led him to Jerusalem and made him stand on the parapet of the temple and then said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Again Jesus responded: “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test.” Having failed thrice to make Jesus obey him, he left him alone for a while. 

The third temptation is like the the first: “If you are the Son of God…”  The devil wanted Jesus to prove a point to him. He asked him to prove that he was God’s Son by jumping from the parapet of the Temple. Jesus is God’s beloved Son. He has powers, but doing what the devil suggested would amount to putting God to the test, and obeying the command of the devil. Some Christians have unreasonable faith. Some are so naive in the practice of their faith. Such people believe in a God of magic, not in the God of miracles. I worship a miracle-working God, not a magic performing God. A story is told of a young man who jumped into a lion’s cage in the zoo because the Bible promises that nothing harmful can happen to God’s children. It’s possible his soul went to heaven, but his body was a special lunch for the lions.

Beloved in Christ, Jesus was tempted with selfish pleasure, with fame and with power, but in each of them, he showed his mettle, his faithfulness and commitment to his Father. Are those three things: pleasure, fame and power not what virtually everyone in the world is scrambling for, and most times, at the detriment of others, their faith and relationship with God? Like Jesus, we are also tempted. Just as Jesus triumphed over all the enticements of the evil one, we too can. When the devil calls you, call upon Jesus. When he offers you bread (which stands for bodily pleasure), seek for the Bread of Life. When he offers you fame, seek for the humility and simplicity of Jesus. When he offers you the shortcut to prosperity, ease and comfort, follow the Lord’s right path to true freedom.  But if you are too weak, too tired to pray, if your heart is torn in pieces and you seem confused, scream aloud and say: “Get behind me, Satan.”