Jesus is Put to the Test

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Lent, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Temptation is an enticement, opinion or suggestion to commit evil. In itself, temptation is no sin; but yielding to it, is. Temptation tests our faith in God, and our victory or otherwise defeat in it will determine where we stand with God.  Today being the First Sunday of Lent, the Church presents us the Gospel story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Jesus, who had largely lived a private life with Mary was about to begin his public ministry. In preparation for his mission, he was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. To stay strong, Jesus prayed and fasted for forty days and forty nights, and thereafter, he was hungry. The devil, aware of Jesus’ needs showed up to tempt him. Now, the threefold temptation was directed at Jesus’ core: his identity, his fidelity and the covenant God made with the Israelites. Knowing that Jesus was hungry, the devil approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” The devil cleverly wanted Jesus to prove that he is the Son of God by performing acts that would gravely betray that very same identity. There was nothing essentially wrong in turning stones into bread, but if Jesus had done that, he would have used his powers selfishly. He would have  obeyed the devil. And obedience to the devil is disobedience to God. But Jesus was even more clever to say to the devil: “One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of 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 you know your identity- that you are a beloved child of God, then don’t worry what the naysayers say about you. What they say you are, what they say in their gossip about you, is not who you are. You are God’s beloved! That’s your identity. As long as you act as such, you have nothing to worry about. 

Having lost out in the First Temptation, the devil took Jesus to the holy city, 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. For it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” But Jesus responded: “You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test.” The Second Temptation looks like the the First: “If you are the Son of God…” Again, the devil wanted Jesus to prove a point to him. Prove that you are God’s Son by jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple and then allow the angels to catch you and prevent you from dashing your foot against a stone. Jesus is God’s Special Son. He has powers, but doing what the devil suggested would amount two things: 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.

In the Third Temptation, the devil tests whether Jesus will uphold Israel’s covenantal relationship with God. After showing Jesus the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, he said to him: “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this point, Jesus rebuked the devil: “Get away, Satan! It is written, the Lord your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” The devil was bitting more than he could chew. He actually wanted the Son of God to bow down and worship him. But Jesus showed him the exit door of his life and asked him to close the door behind 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 and cuts our peace and joy. His shortcut is a shortcut to misery, sorrow and eternal damnation.

Jesus was tempted with selfish pleasure, with fame and with power, but in all of them, he showed his mettle, his faithfulness and commitment to his Father. Are those three things: pleasure, fame and power, not what everyone in the world is scrambling for, and most times, at the detriment of others, their faith and relationship with God? Now, we mustn’t regard Jesus’ temptation as an outward experience. These temptations did not happen outwardly, but inwardly. Each of them was a struggle that went on in Jesus’ heart, mind and soul. It’s not possible to have a mountain from where all the kingdoms of the earth could be viewed and seen. The Three Temptations were an inner struggle, and they happened to Jesus when he was most vulnerable and in need. Like Jesus, we all are tempted. And just as Jesus triumphed over all the enticements of the evil one, we too can. When the tempter 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, ask for the humility and simplicity of Jesus. When the tempter shows you the shortcut to prosperity, ease and comfort,  follow the Lord’s long road 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: “Take me to the King.”