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Saturday, March 5
By Father Ted Brown, ms
Temptation
Oscar Wilde once said, there is only one way to deal with temptation....give in.
Today, the 1st Sunday of Lent, we see two reactions to temptation. Adam and Eve face temptation and give in, and everything begins to fall apart. In the Gospel we see Jesus facing temptation, he refused the temptation, and everything comes together again.
The common element is obeying the "Father's will." Adam and Eve were created in God's 'image and likeness' and thus already like God. They refuse to accept that and think they need something else to be like God. They reach for fruit.
Jesus, as the Letter to the Philippians tells us, 'empties himself of being God' and obeys the Father and becomes fully human. Jesus obeys.
Jesus' refusing the temptations, is his a sign of his acceptance of being human: one of us. This was the Father's will.
The devil tempts Jesus with three things: Satisfaction, Avoidance of Pain and Power. These three things tempt all people.
Jesus' refusal of turning the stones into bread, says he will be like us, and know 'want.' To be human means knowing we can't always get what we want. Jesus knows to be human means never be totally satisfied. Satisfaction comes only with being with God.
Jesus' refusal to jump off the parapet says that he will be like us and know pain. The devil tempted him with the idea that the angels would save him before he hit the ground. He says no, and enters our world where he will know the pain of being whipped and nailed to a cross. He enters our world, which can be painful, both emotionally and physically.
Finally, Jesus refuses Power by not kneeling down to devil, and having the world adore him. Power is about control. Jesus will know not being in control. He will be carried away by others is about as he is arrested. We know we can't control everything. We can't always do what we want and we have to be accountable. Jesus enters our world and gives himself over when arrested. He like us, knows what it is not to be able to control everything.
When Jesus refuses these temptations, he tells us he is one of us and understand us when we feel dissatisfied, when we feel things are out of control and when pain overwhelms us. He tells us that God understands and loves us.
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