First Sunday of Lent: C: March 9, 2025

 THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS IN THE DESERT

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26: 4 to 10

Second Reading: Romans 10: 8 to 13

Gospel Reading: Luke 4: 1 to 13

We are in the first week of Lent. Lent is a special time of grace for all of us. The Church invites us to practice 3 important aspects of our spiritual life during this time of lent: Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These are means to help us to purify our lives and to help us to be in communion with God, with our fellow humans and with Nature. 

   *First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses instructs the people of Israel how the priest should offer to the Lord God the first produce of the land as a thanksgiving. These instructions are to be observed meticulously. They are given in the context that the Lord God had liberated them from the slavery of Egypt and led them to the promised land: A land flowing with milk and honey. The chosen people  are to be always thankful and grateful for the many marvelous and mighty deeds the Lord God had done in their lives.

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans. Paul instructs the Christian community at Rome that salvation is for all humankind. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and calls upon His name will be saved. Further, he affirms that in the sight of God, there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks: People from different races and nationalities. God's blessings are open to everyone, provided they call upon the name of Jesus the Lord. 

Jesus is tempted in the desert                                                                        Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. A detailed account of the temptations of Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry is narrated in detail. Jesus spends forty days in fasting and praying in the wilderness. After that, the devil appears and tempts Him. The temptations are of three kinds. The first one is to change stones into bread. A temptation that He could satisfy His hunger and the hunger of the people around Him without apparently doing any work. The devil tempts Jesus in a very subtle way and asks Jesus to be a mere miracle worker or a magician who removes the hunger of the masses. But Jesus firmly rejects this temptation. He sternly tells the devil: "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." The second temptation takes place on a high mountain. The devil shows the glory and power of the kingdoms of the whole world and promises that he would give Jesus all these worldly glory just by worshipping the devil. Jesus firmly rejects this temptation too by telling the devil: "You shall worship the Lord your God." Thus Jesus firmly affirms that worship is only for God. Worldly possessions, power, positions and all that belongs to the devil are not to be worshipped. In the third and final temptation, the devil asks Jesus to jump down from the pinnacle of the Jerusalem temple. Jesus is assured that the angels of God would protect Him from any bodily harm. This is a temptation to test the power of God's protection. Jesus makes it very clear to the devil that we have no reason to put God to the test in any matter whatsoever. God is not the cause of man-made disasters, calamities and wars. Lent is a time of grace and a God-given time to overcome the many temptations we face through fasting and prayer as Jesus did in the desert and became victorious over devil. In this context D.B. Allender says: "Fasting from nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit - for any reason- sets the stage for God to appear." Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "When the flesh is satisfied, it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation." A Chinese proverb says: "You cannot stop birds flying over your head but you can prevent them from nesting in your hair." (so also with the temptations we face). May the Lord Jesus, who overcame all temptations by the devil, bless you and protect you from worldly temptations and sins of every kind and lead you in the path eternal. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, March 9, 2025."  Thanks.)