DAILY MEDITATION: “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil”

Liturgical day: First Sunday of Lent (A)

Gospel text (Mt 4,1-11): At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 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.’” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

“Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil”

Fr. Antoni BALLESTER i Díaz
(Camarasa, Lleida, Spain)

Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent, and this “strong” liturgical time is a spiritual path leading us to participate in the great mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. Saint John Paul II said “Each year, the Lenten Season is set before us as a good opportunity for the intensification of prayer and penance, opening hearts to the docile welcoming of the divine will. During Lent, a spiritual journey is outlined for us that prepares us to relive the Great Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ. This is done primarily by listening to the Word of God more devoutly and by practicing mortification more generously, thanks to which it is possible to render greater assistance to those in need”.

Lent and today's Gospel teach us that life is a path leading us to Heaven. But, to deserve it, we must first overcome our temptations. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil” (Mt 4, 1). By allowing Himself to be tempted, Jesus wanted to show us how we can fight and overcome our temptations: with our trust in God and in prayer, through grace and fortitude.

Temptations may be described as the “enemies of the soul”. In fact, they can be summarized and determined by three aspects:

In the first place, “the world”: "command that these stones become loaves of bread” (Mt 4, 3). It implies living to possess material things only.

Secondly, “the devil”: “if you will prostrate yourself” (Mt 4, 9). It conveys the greed for power.

And, last but not least, “the flesh”: “throw yourself down” (Mt 4, 6), which means placing our confidence only in our body. Saint Thomas Aquinas explains it better when saying: “For the causes of temptations are the causes of desires"—namely, ‘lust of the flesh, hope of glory, eagerness for power’.”

Source: evangeli.net