Sunday, Feb. 22, is the First Sunday of Lent. Mass readings: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17; Romans 5:12-19 or Romans 5:12, 17-19; Matthew 4:1-11.

In this desert scene, the Lord Jesus faces down three fundamental areas of temptation.

The devil encourages Jesus to turn stones into bread. 

Jesus rebukes the devil, saying, “Man does not live on bread alone.” What does this teach us? There are more important things than bread, creature comforts and indulgence. 

Taking Jesus up a high mountain, the devil shows him all the nations and people of the Earth and promises them to him — if Jesus will but bow down and worship him. This is a temptation to both power and popularity.   Doing almost anything to attain power or popularity is a way of bowing before the devil because it demonstrates that one is willing to sin in order to advance or fit in. But Jesus says, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” The real solution: Fear the Lord. When we fear God, we need fear no one else. 

Finally, (for now) the devil encourages Jesus to test God’s love for him by casting himself off the highest wall of the Temple Mount. Jesus rebukes the devil by quoting Deuteronomy: “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” 

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.’”

We ought to be very careful about presumption, for it is widespread today. God loves us and is rich in mercy, but we cannot call “no big deal” what he calls sin. We should be sober about sin and call on the Lord’s mercy, during Lent and always.

And with the grace of Christ, we, too, can resist the devil. 

This is an adapted repost from Feb. 23, 2023.