“GENEROUS LENT 2017”
Lenten Reflections
Sunday, 5th March 2017.
First Week of Lent
Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7;
Ps 51:3-6, 12-14, 17;
Rom 5:12-19;
Mt 4:1-11.
TEMPTATION – OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH!
To be tempted, means to feel attracted to something forbidden. Today’s readings tell us that Jesus was tempted. “Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sinning”(Heb 4:15).The Bible invites us to consider the temptation as an opportunity to assess the soundness of our choices, an opportunity for growth. The choice is between accepting or rejecting the Father’s plan. Adam decided to follow his own misleading judgments; while Christ makes a constant reference to the word of God. Adam stretches out his hand towards a fruit of death; Christ becomes the author of life.
The Book of Genesis presents man in a garden, where at the center of the garden there are two untouchable trees of ‘life’ and of ‘knowledge of good and evil’. They belong to God and indicate two limits that cannot be crossed. The first tree implies the symbol of God, the giver of all life. Immortality is a fruit to which man cannot lay hands on. Laying hands on the fruit of this tree is equivalent to rejecting man’s human condition. The second tree whose fruits cannot be touched is that of knowledge of good and evil. Laying hands on this tree means to be masters of one’s own decisions and actions. It is a bold claim to want to establish one’s own – defying God or ignoring his fatherly words which are the correct moral choices! When man forgets that he is a creature and makes himself, like God, knower of good and evil, he self-destructs. He easily “calls evil good and good evil; changes darkness for light and light for darkness, give bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Is 5:20).
The serpent enters the scene and invites Adam and Eve to take possession of the forbidden fruit. The Book of Wisdom identified it with the devil (Wis 2:23-24). It makes one wonder who is this devil who seduces and deceives. The serpent is the most cunning creature of all animals created by the Lord. It is the highest point of the work he has done. Yes, the serpent is none other but man himself who, reaching the maximum of his pride, becomes aware of his own abilities. He builds up his own moral, claiming to decide in a fully autonomous way. The serpent represents the will to rise up against God, coming to regard oneself as God. It is that part of man which leads him to do without God. The speech of the serpent is not nothing else but the thought from which each sin originates. God does not want the good of man and is jealous of his own power and is detestable because all he does is to prohibit. As long as he exists, man will remain always small and immature. Only when God will be eliminated, man will become an adult, to assert himself, to grow and to progress. The next step is sin. Sin is not born of a search of evil, but of good and happiness. The trouble is that, distrusting God, man points at the wrong target, misses the goal and self-destructs. After the sin, however, they do not serenely accept this reality. They try to hide it and feel the need to weave together fig leaves to cover themselves.
In the Second Reading, Paul assumes that Adam is clearly responsible for all evil. He uses the contrast between Adam and Christ to explain the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus. Adam wanted to be lord of good and evil, and obtained death as a result. Christ, on the contrary, recognized his dependence on God. He was always faithful and obedient to the Father, and became the Lord of life. All those who follow him and imitate his obedience will be made righteous.
In the Gospel, Jesus stayed in the desert forty days and was tempted by Satan” (Mk 1:12-13). Using the biblical language and imagery, he meant to say that the whole life of Jesus, was a dramatic confrontation between him and the tempter. Jesus’ answers to the tempter refer to three events of the Exodus: the murmurings of the people for the lack of food and the gift of the manna (Ex 16), the protests for the lack of water (Ex 17), the idolatry represented by the golden calf (Ex 32). Jesus therefore relives the history of his people. He is subject to the same temptations and overcomes them. Only one who considers his life in the light of the word of God, is capable of giving the right value to the reality of this world.
Temptation in life is real. It’s the result of our fallen human nature. It comes from our weakness but also from the evil one. Jesus never gave in to the temptations in the desert, nor did He give in to temptations at any other time in His life. But He endured them and suffered them. This tells us that He can be our strength and inspiration in the midst of whatever we are tempted with each and every day. Some days we may feel the loneliness and isolation of one who is driven into the desert of our sins. We may feel as though the wild beasts of our disordered passions are getting the best of us. We may feel as though the evil one is having his way with us. Well, Jesus felt this way, also. And He freely allowed Himself to experience this in His humanity. For these reasons, it is Jesus Himself who is able to meet us in our desert. He is there, waiting for us, looking for us, calling to us. It is He, the One who defeated this desert temptation, who will gently guide you out. So whether your “desert” is only a slight agitation in life right now, or if it’s a struggle against complete despair, Jesus wants to meet you and bring you out. He conquered the desert once and for all and He is able to conquer any desert in your life, also.
Prayer: Lord, I acknowledge Your perfect love for me. I believe that You love me enough to endure all suffering, to understand all suffering. May I encounter you in the desert of my own soul. May I allow You to lead me to the cool and refreshing waters. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
Holy Habit for Lent: READING THE BIBLE – Lord help me to learn the habit of READING THE BIBLE, May I receive your wisdom and guidance through your holy word. Amen.