Lent 2023: Ash Wednesday

Lent 2023; Ash Wednesday

Satan, after being thrown out of heaven, roamed about looking to get even with God.  Knowing his time was short he devised a plan to place himself as number one, or believed he could accomplish this.

His approach was to seduce God’s only Son into worshiping him.  Twice he would confront Jesus.  The first encounter will take place after Jesus is baptized and completes a period of fasting.  Because Jesus is also a man as well as God’s Son he would be vulnerable to any attack promising rest and satisfying a long hungry servant.  

“If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.  Jesus said in reply, “It is written: one does not live by bread alone, but 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, “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 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.”  Finally, the devil took him to a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence.  “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.”  (Mt. 4: 3 - 10).

“A voice cries out: in the desert prepare the way of the Lord!  Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.  Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  (Is. 40: 3 - 5).  

A final thought for Ash Wednesday:  Satan comes on the scene again when Jesus is tired, frightened and alone in the garden.  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still not my will but yours be done.”  (Lk. 22: 42).  A similar response to the temptations previously recorded.  This is the final onslaught from Satan to use the weakness of Jesus to succumb to rejecting God.  

What occurred here is the very manner that the attraction of sin does to us.  Today we too must be prepared to answer, “The Lord our God shall we trust and serve.”

Ralph B. Hathaway