DO NOT PUT GOD TO THE TEST

I SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 4:1-13

On the first Sunday of Lent, we are presented with the temptations that Jesus suffered in the desert. The three temptations summarise the great temptations suffered by Jesus as the Son of man. The temptation of selfishness is present everywhere and comes to everybody. If I have power, due to my position and role in society, I should profit from it. Is there anything wrong with that? Most people do that. Then, the craving for wealth and power is in everybody’s heart. And people live for that. A good number will use all means at their reach to accumulate riches and become powerful. That is the way honourable people behave. Is there anything wrong with that? Finally, is there anything wrong with becoming famous? By all means, we need to be recognised and appreciated in society at large and especially in the Church, where we deal with religious matters. To get noticed, some are ready to do crazy things, but does it matter?

The temptations represent the great value of the world proposed to us by the prince of darkness. They sound fair, honourable and good, but they lead to jealousy, envy, hatred, violence, exploitation and oppression. They are not the way to salvation and happiness. Jesus rejected this path and chose the true values that will lead humanity to happiness and true life. Jesus answered with a quotation from the Scriptures to each one of the proposals.

1. “Man does not live on bread alone.” Bread is needed, and we pray for “our daily bread”. Hunger and starvation do not manifest the dignity of God’s children, but we cannot live only for that. We must find purpose and meaning in our lives. Indeed, we need much more than bread. Created in the image of God, who is love, we need to love and be loved,
2. “You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.” Only God deserves to be worshipped and served. He is the one who sets us free and accepts us as his beloved children. Nothing can take God’s place and demand total obedience and service from us. Only God is God, and everything else exists to be at our service.
3. “You must not put the Lord your God to the test.” Whenever we use God’s name in vain and try to force him to satisfy our whims, we put God to the test. If we do that, we will suffer the consequences. God cannot be used for us to find influence and power or together recognition. We should not expect God to do for us what we can and should do ourselves.

Jesus came out victorious and showed us the way to remain faithful to the Lord. Let us pray with the psalmist:

His love he set on me, so I will rescue him;

  protect him for he knows my name.

When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you,’

  I will save him in distress and give him glory. (Psalm 91)