Cycle C -- Homily -- 1st Sunday of Lent -- 06 March 2022

** See my brazen Lenten suggestion at the end of this homily.

Cycle C – Homily – First Sunday of Lent – 06 March 2022

Lectionary I                                           Lectionary II

Deuteronomy 26:4-10                            Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15                               Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Romans 10:8-13                                    Romans 10:8-13

Luke 4:1-13                                           Luke 4:1-13

Temptation.  That is the theme of today's readings.  Temptation.  The easy part (at least on the surface) is the gospel reading from Luke.  This is the story of the three temptations of Jesus.  Jesus had been in the desert on a 40 day fast.  He was hungry and tired – obviously in a vulnerable position!  Then Satan tempted him to turn the stones into bread.  Jesus would have none of it.  So, Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world.  Again, Jesus refused.  Finally, Satan dared Jesus to throw himself down from the parapet of the temple because the angels should (or perhaps could!) easily rescue him.

Notice the ascending order of importance of these temptations.  The first temptation is merely something to ease the physical hunger.  Bread – easy enough – bread -- we would all like to satisfy our physical hungers.  Then the second temptation is a power temptation – the kingdoms of the world.  And would we not all like power?  Of course!  We are all power mongers of one sort or another!  And finally, the ultimate temptation – the temptation of the word of God.  Satan does not simply tempt Jesus to test the angels; Satan is tempting the entirety of God.  God would send the multitude of angels if only Jesus would fling himself down?  Is he serious?  Yes, he is serious – very serious.

Jesus was like us in all things except sin.  Temptation is no exception.  Jesus was tempted, just as we are tempted.  Jesus was tempted when he was hungry and tired, just as we are.  Jesus was tempted with graded temptations – small to medium to large, just as we are tempted.

And after the temptations were finished, Satan departed – for a while.  I think we sometimes forget that “for a while” part.  But, it is right there at the end of the story.  Luke 4:13 – "When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.”  These were hardly the final temptations of Jesus.  This story took place at the beginning of Jesus' ministry!  Quite a few more temptations were to come.

What is temptation?  Sometimes I think we need to sit back and look at the essence of temptation.  We are so “tempted!” to think of temptation as the inclination or passing desire to do something seriously wrong – to commit some deadly harm by word or deed.  Of course, that is temptation.  But, temptation does not have to be a temptation to sin.  The first temptation of Jesus is an example of that.  Bread is simple enough.  Jesus was hungry.  No one else was involved.  Perhaps it would be a good idea!

The first reading from Deuteronomy is another example.  Moses is reiterating the story of how the people got to where they were.  We all know they complained bitterly.  Some were “tempted” to leave.  Maybe some did leave; we don’t know that.  We have all complained.  Not all complaining is sinful by any means.  But it certainly can be irritating!

It seems to me that yielding to a temptation – regardless of whether or not it is a sin – is a problem because that yielding to temptation turns us from our primary directive.  That primary directive is whatever we are called to do in life.  Had Jesus turned the stones to bread, he would have been turning away from his primary objective of setting an example for us on how we are to treat the simple temptations of life.  Again, sin may not even enter into it.

(Personally, I have broken a couple of my Lenten resolutions already – and Lent is only 4 days old!  I doubt this is a sin.  Nevertheless, I set these resolutions to help me to become a better person and to help me better achieve the primary objective that God seems to have in mind for me.)

We all succumb to temptations – whether these temptations are as inconsequential as my Lenten resolutions or as serious as are the power temptation that Jesus was faced with.  What?  We’re not tempted with the kingdoms of the world!  No, of course we are not.  Well, we aren’t quite – not in so many words.  But we are tempted with misuse of power.  This is a common temptation.  We are all faced with it.  What about gossip?  Gossip probably harms more people than guns.  Why don’t we have a war against gossip?  What about inappropriate manifestations of anger?  What about road rage?  Is this not the inappropriate expression of anger?  What about treating our brothers and sisters (including store clerks and colleagues) with contempt?  What about lying?  What about trying to get away with something in an illegal manner?  These are power issues – temptations.  And the list goes on and on.

Well, we have never been taken to the parapet of the temple.  Oh, I think we have.  How often have we tempted God to save us from our own foolishness?  How often, upon seeing the red and blue flashing lights in our rear view mirror, whispered a quick prayer that the officers are not pulling us over?  What is the difference between that and the suggestion that Jesus could pray for help as he threw himself down from the parapet of the temple?  None that I can see.

BUT, ours is not a hopeless religion!  Christianity is not about our being tempted and then being left stranded in the desert.  Even today’s readings have hope for us.  This is not doom and gloom!  Yes, we will be tempted.  But, the Psalm response is, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”  We have a prayer built right into our hope!

And look at the reading from Romans!  Yes, this is hope!  Yes, temptation is there.  Yes, temptation will return – over and over and over.  Some temptations may be as simple as a loaf of bread.  Some temptations may be as serious as the fate of the world.  But, we have hope with all these temptations.  The last line of today’s reading from Romans is, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That is powerful.  We will be saved from our temptations and from our failings and from the weaknesses of our humanity – as well as from our problems with bread, power, and tempting God.  We need only ask.  We need only call on the name of the Lord.  Our temptations will crumble and we will be saved.

Dr. Roberta M. Meehan, D.Min

**  If you haven’t decided on your Lenten reading yet – or even if you have, may I suggest delving into the possible mindset of Judas Iscariot?

As you probably know, Lent began on March 2 (March 7 if you are Eastern Christian or Orthodox).  Maybe you are still on the lookout for some thought-provoking Lenten reading.  If so, I brazenly recommend my book *The Trial of Judas Iscariot*, available from Amazon.  Copyright 2015.  The Scales of Justice are on the front cover.

This is a play, done as reading theater and suitable for anyone high school age and above.  This play has been presented seven times.  The play, set outside the bounds of time and space, examines what motives Judas may have had and what factors may have influenced the events surrounding the life of Judas and the death of both Jesus and Judas.

Have a meaningful Lent!