Lenten Journey: Week 1- Temptations of Jesus
As we journey into the 5 weeks of Lent- a journey of repentance, the Gospel of Luke infuses us with an inspirational accounts of Jesus temptation in the desert. Jesus was filled with the spirit and was led into the desert to be tempted. Here we can meditate on the three temptations of Jesus where all of us are also tempted likewise- temptation for self-gratification, temptation to acquire more power and wealth and temptation for fame and recognition.
In breaking the word, Fr. Dom explained the three temptations experienced by Jesus and how Jesus overcame it.
The first temptation is to change stone into bread. Here we see the Satan tempting Jesus to misuse his gift and power for personal gratification. It happens to us all the time, when we bend the rules to obtain favours and rewards to satisfy the needs and wants of our families and personal desires.
The second temptation is for power. Here the Satan tempts Jesus to worship him so that Jesus could have power to rule. In our lives too, we may have crossed the lines to climb corporate ladders and seek promotion at the expense of our soul. We seek to wield the power to lord it over others.
The third temptation is to be a superhero- fame and recognition. The Satan tempts Jesus to test God by throwing himself off the cliff. Here the temptation is to redefine ourselves by external means.
How did Jesus overcome the temptations?
- He spent 40 days in prayer and fasting. Likewise, we need to spend time in prayer and fast to strengthen our spirit and lessen our worldly attachment.
- He used scriptures as the basis of prayer to fight the evil one. Even the evil one knows the scriptures so we need to be equipped with the word of God to be faithful.
- Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. We need to be filled with the spirit to be empowered to overcome the temptation and to continue to grow spiritually.