Feb
21
Written by:
Fr. Gary Zerr
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Jesus is Tempted
Pastor’s Column
1st Sunday of Lent
February 21, 2010
This Sunday’s gospel opens with the dramatic scene of Jesus being confronted by Satan, who tempts Jesus to commit sin after Jesus has fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). But this is not the first time Jesus has confronted Satan! As we say in the Creed every Sunday, and as Scripture teaches us, through him [Jesus] all things were made (Colossians 1:16). Therefore, prior to the fall of the angels, Jesus must have also created the being that became Satan. Turning away from God eternally, then, Satan has been at war with him and later humanity ever since! Imagine the audacity of Satan to confront his creator by saying “IF you are the Son of God….!”
There is so much to learn from this gospel! As the eternal Son of God in heaven, Jesus could not be tempted, but in becoming a human being, he submitted to temptation (though without sin). In doing so he gives us help in our own struggles with evil.
While we are here on earth, like Jesus, each of us, too, is engaged in spiritual warfare. As baptized Christians, we have the sign of the cross and the Holy Trinity written on our foreheads. The battle of good and evil rages both in and around us! Scripture also teaches us that we are fighting against an “unholy trinity” of the world, the flesh and the devil -- but Jesus has not left us defenseless in our struggles. We must use spiritual weapons to fight these spiritual battles.
Scripture. Notice that Jesus quotes the bible when confronting evil. If I tend to fall into the same sins again and again, am I fighting with the proper weapons? Do I know the scriptures that can help me win the battle against temptation in my life? We are not meant to fight these battles without scriptural help!
Avoiding the occasions of sin. If you are addicted to sweets and keep stopping by the candy store, you can bet you’re going to fall. In our habitual sins, we must look for the patterns in our lives and precede the sins we are trying to overcome. For example, being addicted to internet pornography means you must change your computer habits or you are just kidding yourself.
Fasting. Jesus was fasting when he was tempted. One way to fast to avoid temptation is by fasting with the eyes. Evil most often enters through the eyes. Where have my eyes wandered. Unguarded eyes are like leaving the front door open for prowlers! Fasting from food builds up our spiritual muscles so that we are more easily able to fight off the temptations that surround us in this life.
Father Gary