Sunday Reflections

Today is the first Sunday of Lent, and the readings are ones which are very familiar.  The story of the Fall in Genesis, the explanation of our Redemption thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice in the letter to the Romans, and the Temptation of Jesus in the desert as told by Matthew’s gospel.  We begin each Lent with a gospel reading telling of the Temptation, but the combination of these readings, this year, caused the gospel to stand out more than ever for me.

I always feel ashamed when I hear the story of Adam and Eve partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  No, they did not have the idea to eat of it on their own, they were prompted, tempted, by the devil.  But they still gave in, they still chose to do what they knew was wrong.  And this was not just Adam and Eve, so many years ago.  They represent each one of us.  We still give in to temptation, even when we know full well that what we are doing is wrong.  When I’m outside, looking in on the story of the Fall, it is so clear, so obvious that they ought not to follow the devil’s advice, and I am ashamed.  I wish that I could see so clearly when I am being faced with temptation.

In the midst of this shame, God brings us Redemption.  The letter to the Romans repeats over and over again, that this free gift from God of His only Son, to die for our sins, is so much more powerful than our shame, than our transgressions.  “If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”   We do not have to fear damnation because of our tendency to give in to temptation.  We can choose to accept God’s mercy, turn away from sin, and live in the Good News.

And from this rollercoaster of emotions, from the depth of shame to the mountain of hope, we come to the Gospel of Matthew.  Here we are told that Jesus willingly went into the desert, where He fasted for 40 days and nights, knowing that while He was thus weakened, He would be tempted by the devil.  This is what struck me so powerfully.  Jesus knew how much He would suffer by going into the desert and meeting the devil face to face.  I know Jesus arguably went through greater pain during his Passion, but for some reason, the willingness to put His body and mind through the prolonged torture of exposure in the desert, as well as subjecting Himself to the torments of the devil’s temptations, seems even worse.  What wondrous love is this?  I am filled with overwhelming gratitude to Jesus, for taking on our sins, for facing the temptations we face, of gluttony, power, idolatry, and doing what we didn’t do: turning them down. 

Lord Jesus, as we begin this Lent, thank you does not seem like enough.  Thank you for fighting our battles, for redeeming us from original sin.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to once again repent for the times we have given in to temptation, and find your mercy waiting for us.  Thank you for your Wondrous Love, which transforms and sustains us, breaking us out of the prison of sin, and guiding us to eternal life.