Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

Man does not live on bread alone

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

He will put you in his angels’ charge,

and they will support you on their hands

in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’, he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God,

and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

Gospel Reflection 

Sin and temptation are the dominant themes of the readings for this first week of Lent. Indeed, they are regular themes in the season of Lent. However, the scripture passages throughout this season allow us the opportunity to think again about these themes and perhaps reconsider some traditional understandings of them.

Today’s first reading and gospel give us two different takes on the notion of temptation. In the passage from Genesis, humanity is tempted to ignore the will of God and, when they succumb, they lose their innocence and become embarrassed by their nakedness. The temptation they are offered is to believe themselves above and beyond the will of God; to believe that they can judge as well as God; and to rise to an equal level of power and authority with God. Their action breaks the trusting, loving relationship between themselves and God. In the Gospel, Jesus too is confronted with similar temptations. Ultimately, the temptation that faces Jesus relates to his purpose and ministry – will he trust to God’s vision of the suffering servant who will bring about a change of heart in the people, or will he be the sort of Messiah that the people hoped for: a triumphant, glorious victor over all who stood in his way. He is tempted to break his self-imposed fasting, to test God’s promise of nurture and security, and to seek glory and personal power. Whilst Adam and Eve surrender to temptation, Jesus holds fast to God’s vision.

The second reading from Paul ties the Genesis and Gospel readings together and injects the notion of sin into the equation. However, Paul make it perfectly clear that the sin of Adam, though carrying great ramifications, pales in comparison to the extraordinary abundance of God’s love that is expressed through Jesus Christ.

Scriptural Context – Trusting God

The testing and temptation of Jesus echoes the plight of the people of Israel as they wandered in the desert for forty years. They relied on God to provide them with food and protection and ultimately lead them into the land that was promised to them. They had to trust that God would deliver these things in God’s own time and way. Jesus is tempted to ignore God’s time and ways by seizing for himself food, protection and ownership of the land. The temptations of Jesus and the people of Israel are all about trusting God.

Historical Context – Sin

The Greek word translated as ‘sin’ in the New Testament literally means ‘miss the mark’. Its origin may lie in archery where the object was always to hit the mark; to miss the mark was to not achieve at one’s best. Jesus set about trying to redefine the Jewish notion of sin from being a transgression against God that deserves punishment to the more compassionate idea that sin is a wandering off course that can be rectified – a missing of the mark. When he encountered someone who was missing the mark, Jesus called them back into right relationship.

Have You Thought? – An Invitation

Lent is a season of invitation. It is an invitation to step into the desert with Jesus; to confront our own purpose and ministry and to renew our trust in God’s vision for the world and for us individually. Seen in this light, Lent is so much more than fasting from meat and giving up ice cream for a few weeks. The whole idea of fasting and sacrifice is an attempt to simplify our lives. Through simplifying our life and removing some of the daily distractions, we can share in the desert experience of Jesus and then truly celebrate the hope reborn in the Easter season.