First Sunday of Lent 2007
The Temptations of Jesus (Lk 4_)

The First Reading from Deuteronomy encapsulates in a few sentences the God experience of Israel- A God who hears the cry of the oppressed and leads them out to freedom.
This God continues to walk with the people leading them to new lands and newer experiences. Jesus is not a break with the God of Abraham and Moses. Jesus, too, leads to God. Jesus is the Way.
And the way to God is through the desert. And temptations. Even for Jesus.
Adam and Eve wanted to be like God, as if they had created themselves, and so presumed they could do as they pleased.
And thus be happy.
And look at the human history since then:
Many fold increase in wealth over the centuries for many, for sure;
and unmitigated poverty for most, unfortuntely;
wars in every age and place,
rise and fall of empires,
subjugation to slavery and constant battles for freedoms,
and amazing graces in spite of everything.
The temptations to take the easy way out of the human condition of being a creature, to use any method, even the devil, to dominate other peoples and cultures especially if they serve our bloated needs and wants, are constants in all of human history.
So is the faith of those who refuse to bow down to the powers of darkness.
And so, what do Jesus’ temptations have got to do with any of these or with us?
First of all that God was not absent in the desert or in the temptations. It was the Spirit that led Jesus to the desert.
Second of all, there is a self assurance in Jesus that is the hallmark of the one whose self worth comes not from the abundance of goods, power or popularity, but from God who says: “You are my beloved, on you my favor rests.” Nothing else is of any significance.
And ultimately what the tempter wants is allegiance. “Give up your allegiance to God and give it to me!”
And the final victory is in putting our complete trust in, and our allegiance to, the One who is our Creator, as Jesus did.
After all, “our hearts are created for God, and they are restless until they rest in God.”

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