2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
This reading is very familiar to us. Jesus has just been baptized by John and now goes into the wilderness to prepare himself by prayer and fasting for his public ministry. Enter the devil! Today, Jesus is being offered pleasure, power and wealth by the devil. He responds by looking to the Scriptures for his answers. We all can be tempted by some good because no one thinks they are purposely choosing evil. This is a model we can follow as we navigate our way through life. There will always be the “road not taken” or missed opportunity, but we can always find help along the way as we make decisions.
Now, giving in to a candy bar may not be a big deal for most, but continuing to make poor food choices can be. Playing a computer game isn’t a big deal either, unless you are so “hooked” that you are spending money that could be used for food or bills on something that is advertised as “free.” We will never be free of the temptations in our lives but we have been given the power to overcome them – the Holy Spirit. We only need to ask, and the Spirit will give us the wisdom and strength we need to do the right thing. And if we fail? Well, then Jesus has given us a way back – ask for forgiveness. We pray in the Our Father, “Lead us not into temptation,” but God is there both to help us overcome it as well as to bring us forgiveness when we fail.
Loving God, you have sent your Son as a model for us to follow. As we enter into our season of Lent, help us to be aware of the things in our life that can lead us away from you. Amen.
