Three Common Temptations

We have begun our Lenten journey. We are a few days into Lent. As for me, I am trying to exercise every day and hating it. But still I am on the path. The path may seem trivial; I mean exercising, giving up chocolate, giving up television, do not seem like very important things to do, but they are vital in going through the process of conversion. What rich support God gives!

All salvation history is summarized in the three readings for the first Sunday of Lent. The first reading begins with Genesis and the fall of man. God gives man every thing we need and Adam and Eve are only not to have one thing and that is precisely what they want. Why was God keeping this fruit from us? Was he being mean? No, God was trying to test us. He knows what is best for us and he knows what is best for us not to have. But he gives us free choice so that we can love him and follow him or not. Eve was looking at the fruit, and we often blame her for the fall in the Garden of Eden, but where was the man who was given the gift of woman, the one person to love? He was right next to her, not somewhere else in the garden. He should’ve said to her, “No, Eve,” but he didn’t.

The second reading says that through the sin of one man, sin and death entered the world. Creation was harmed by the sin of Adam and Eve. This was the sin of silence. The Savior came to save us from the three sins which we enter into everyday. These sins are the basis of the temptation in the desert.

The first sin is the temptation to hunger, desire, passion, rest, pleasure, food.  “If you are hungry, turn these stones into bread,” satan said to Jesus. Jesus says, “No. Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The second sin is when the devil takes Jesus to the top of the Temple and tells him to throw himself down. Now we know you cannot do this. We understand that we can’t jump off high places and survive. But what is this sin showing? It’s showing the sin of presumption. Presumption is the sense that says it doesn’t matter what I do, because God can’t condemn me. I have goodwill. I know God doesn’t mind. It doesn’t matter to God, we say. Oh, doesn’t it? We are very good at convincing ourselves that God doesn’t care about what we do, but there will be consequences for our actions. God looks at the intentions. “If we aren’t faithful in small things, how can we be faithful in large things?”, Jesus asked. We should never presume on God’s good graces.

The third temptation is when Satan said to Jesus, “Look at all the cities in the world. I will give you all of these if you will bow down and worship me.” This is the temptation for worldly things. All of my things, all of my stuff. More, more, more.

I would bet that all three temptations bother many people at the end of Mass on Sundays. As Mas is ending, they are thinking that they want to leave Mass early to go to breakfast because they are hungry for their donuts and coffee and French toast. This is the first temptation, the temptation to satisfy their worldly and bodily desires. The second temptation fits in here also. “God doesn’t care if I leave before the last hymn is sung. After all I’ve been here for Communion.” How do we know if God cares or not? Is worshipping God the first thing in our mind or getting out of the parking lot the first thing? Jesus said to the apostles, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” Mass is ending, and we begin thinking of the things of the world. We have someplace else to go, something else to do. This is what we are thinking about, as Mass ends.  How many things come before God in our lives? How many countless examples do we experience per day where we are tempted?

Lent is our chance to recognize these sinful desires. Is God present or is he not in my life? Jesus is being tempted in the Gospel. He is God and man, and he was tempted, so how do I think I am going to avoid the same temptations when I am only human? When was Jesus tempted? He was tempted after 40 days of fasting when his body was weak. Satan comes to us when we are feeling weak, depressed, too busy and stressed out. He comes when our strength is undermined. We need to build up habits to help us to live virtuous lives when we are at the end of our 40 days these habits that will keep us from slipping. We need to build habits that will put God first before bread, before things, before presumption, before the blessings of the world. May God be first in our lives.

Transcribed as closely as possible from a homily by Father Jacob Meyer