Welcome to Lent! A time of prayer, fasting and alms giving! Lent is roughly 40 days or 6 weeks. We see 40 a lot in Scripture: The Flood, Israel’s time in the desert, Jesus’ time in the desert and Easter to Ascension is 40 days. The Lenten hymns proclaim The Glory of these 40 days.
Lets look at today’s Gospel.
GospelMT 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply,
“It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city,
and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus answered him,
“Again it is written,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,
and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him,
“Get away, Satan!
It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.
The Gospel of the Lord! Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!
The Gospel reading is about obedience. Obedience to the Will of God. Not military obedience or I say jump and you say how high. Obedience in knowing that God wants the best for us. Jesus was taken into the desert for 40 days. The desert is cold and hot, not much water or food. A simple life. The devil temps Jesus and Jesus succeeds in resisting. Some people say well that is because He is God, 2nd person of the Blessed Trinity. True, but He is also man. The devil tempted the human side of Him. Hunger, trust and greed (worship me and I will give you all) Both knew scripture, Jesus won with Scripture. God always takes care of us, even when we aren’t faithful. God wants the best for us and He gives us freely when we obey Him. Even Jesus obeyed His earthly parents as well as God the Father.