Today is the first Sunday of Lent so we naturally read the gospel that tells us about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness for forty days. This occurs immediately after Jesus is baptized where God had declared Jesus as His beloved Son. Naturally, Satan came to test Jesus, just as He tested Israel in the wilderness hundreds of years prior when God had led them out of Egypt, and they were declared His son, the firstborn of all the nations.
Satan used the same three temptations on Jesus that had led the Israelites to sin. He tempts Jesus with fleshy desires, the allures of quick worldly success, and putting God to the test. In each of his temptations, Satan attempts to use scripture to convince Jesus to turn away from God as the Israelites had done long ago.
But Jesus is the word of God. He understands scripture’s meaning in its entirety. He does not co-opt scripture to fit his agenda as Satan does. Rather Jesus, out of love, humbly submits and allows the scriptures to form His humanity. Consequently, Jesus has the wisdom to see through Satan’s trickery. He is able to rebuke Satan at each temptation with the scriptures used in their proper context. As a result Satan flees, and the angels of God come to minister to Jesus.
What can we learn from this passage during this Lenten season? First we can ask ourselves the question: Why does Satan use these temptations against the Israelites first and then to Jesus? It is because Satan desired them to choose things, pleasures, or comforts over loving God. We are created out of love, to love. If we do not love, we are not living to the fullness of what it means to be human. And the temptations that Satan lays before us attempt to move us toward fear and selfishness. Jesus is the antidote for these temptations. If we receive Him in the Word and sacraments this Lent, we can overcome temptation through Him.
Second, we can hone in on the area of temptation that is most appealing to us. We can put ourselves in Jesus’ shoes and see which temptation drowns out the voice of God. Is it satiating our physical desires? Is it doing whatever it takes to get worldly power or fame? Is it desiring to make God act outside of His will? If we sit in quiet meditation, we can transport ourselves into the wilderness with Jesus and allow Him to win the battle in our souls just as He defeated Satan long ago.
Finally, we can notice that overcoming these temptations is not the end goal of the life of a Christian. In fact, it is just the beginning. Jesus’ battle with Satan is the opening act of His earthly ministry. He conquers the temptations in pursuit of love for the people around him. He is able to heal, preach, teach, and perform great signs because He is not concerned with earthly goods or elevating Himself. With a focus only on God’s will and the good of others, He is able to give Himself away completely.
So as we enter into the wilderness with Jesus during this Lenten season, let our prayer, fasting and almsgiving be oriented toward struggling against sin. Let us enter into Jesus’ victory so that we may also overcome the snares set by Satan. But most of all, let our journey be one in pursuit of love of both our Heavenly Father and those around us.