Ist Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
2nd Reading: Romans  10:8-13
Gospel: Luke  4:1-13

Temptations are very much part of life. They can be moments of growth and times when we discover our inner strengths and values. Temptations give us opportunities to become more aware of our character and challenge us to keep searching for authenticity. It is very interesting to read in today’s Gospel from St. Luke that Jesus “was led through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days.” (Lk1:1) Jesus was led to temptation by the Holy Spirit. This might seem a bit strange. However, through his three temptations Jesus was able to commit himself fully to three very important values.  . In doing so, he is inviting all of us who believe in him to do the same.

In the first instance, the devil came to Jesus after he had been fasting for forty days and said to him “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to turn into a loaf.” (Lk 1) What is so special about this first temptation? It seemed reasonable for the devil to say to Jesus, “Look you have been fasting for forty days. You must be very hungry by now. So eat.” Fasting has a very particular meaning to the Jewish people. Everybody needs to eat, except God. So when we fast we are doing something that only God can do. When we fast we are very close to understanding more fully the nature of God. Fasting makes us more like God. So in reality, the devil saying to Jesus: ‘Stop pretending to be like God. Stop pretending that you are divine. Stop aiming high; after all you are a man made like others so do not pretend to be what in reality you are not. You are empty and a human person cannot be the Messiah. No wonder that Jesus replied “Man does not live on bread alone.” (Lk1:4)

We also fall into the same trap sometimes.  We forget that we are very special people as created by God. We also forget that we have a mighty call on us to keep transforming our society with the values and the principles of Jesus. Very often we are tempted just to follow the crowd, to think and act like the majority of people think and act. We are called to something much bigger than this.

The devil tried once again and taking Jesus to a high place he showed him all the kingdom of the world ans said to him “I will give you all the power and he glory in this kingdom…Worship me then and it shall all be yours.” (Lk 1:6-7). So called freedom without God always has a bitter price attached to it. Many people desire power and freedom. The problem is that many seek these things without a proper understanding of what true power and freedom entail. Freedom is not the ability to do whatever I want whenever I want. True freedom is the capacity to do only what is true; what is good and what is just and this can entail very often that I go against my desires and my wants. This is where the help and value of my Catholic faith are so crucial. True freedom and true power comes from thinking, feeling, understanding and acting like Jesus Christ. There is always a better price to pay when we do otherwise.
Adam Shand is an Australian journalist who recently did some research about the Melbourne gangland murders. He wrote a book entitled “Big Shots” and in the prologue of the book he writes, ‘The moral in not that crime does not pay – it pays well, extraordinarily well if you get it right – but that eventually, Death takes its whack.’  I am sure that none of us desire this kind of freedom and power because ultimately it is very destructive. No wonder that Jesus replied, “You must worship the Lord, Your God and serve him alone.” (Lk 1:8)

Finally, the devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and said to him “Throw yourself down from here, for scripture says the He will put his angels in charge of you to guard you.” (Lk 1:10). What the devil was saying to Jesus is, “Make a stupid decision. Jump from the great height and if anything harmful happens blame God for it”. How often do we act in this manner? It is always somebody else’s fault. Even if we know deep down in our heart that the fault lies with us we try to find so many excuses and false reasoning so that we can get off scot free.

The reply of Jesus is very timely, “You must not put the Lord your God to the test”. (Lk 1:12). In reality what Jesus was saying to the devil is “I will take full responsibility for the decisions I make and I will not point the finger at anyone else including God if the result of my decision is very different from what I expected or desired”. This is why, in my opinion, our country demonstrated great maturity and a deep sense of justice when two years ago, our Prime Minister apologized publicly to the many Aboriginal children who were forcibly separated from their families. It is not easy to admit that we need to be forgiven. It is not easy to own up. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great help, to heal  what needs to be healed deep down within us  thus enabling us more and more to be another Jesus Christ to all those around us.

So right from the first Sunday of Lent as we prepare for Easter we a called to be more like Jesus, by remembering the greatness of our call, by pursuing always what is just and good and by being responsible for any decision that we make.

God Bless.