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the liturgical readings for Lent always
commenced with the story of a temptation
so Jesus goes into the desert there to
be tempted by the devil the devil always
has one purpose in the Bible and that is
to is to move us off the path that leads
to God and to order your desire in the
direction of something other than God so
that the the primary desire of your life
is something other than the creator so
the devil confronts Jesus and he gives
them three basic temptations and the
first one begins at the at the low level
the desert floor you're kind of a basic
level temptation turn these stones into
bread read symbolically make sensual
pleasure the center of your life make
the satisfaction of your bodily desires
for food and for sex and for drink and
for pleasure the center of your life
Catholics aren't Puritans we like the
pleasures of the body you know we think
they're good they're god-given but when
they become dominant they become the
lord of your life then your deepest
desire for God isn't realized and these
desires are so pressing they're like
little kids I want it I want it I want
it now now now and if you allow them to
dominate you they will take over your
life and so Jesus says to the devil we
do not live by bread alone but by every
word that comes from the mouth of God in
other words you can't reduce your life
to this very restricted compass he then
takes him to a higher position to the
parapet of the temple the temple in
Jesus time would have been the very
center of the society it was the
economic center the political the
cultural and of course religious center
of the society to be on the parapet of
the temple the high point of the temple
would be top of your society where
everyone can see you everyone admires
you this is now the temptation toward
glory honor esteem to be noticed admired
you know some people can leave behind
the low level to
tations they're not really enslave to
those desires but boy they want glory
and the the quest for glory becomes the
center of their life
Jesus has to resist that temptation -
the devil then takes him to the highest
position and says in one glance he shows
them all the kingdoms of the world and
all their glory these I will give you if
you but bow down and worship me that's
the temptation to power power is maybe
the greatest temptation some people can
leave behind that low-level stuff
they're not even all that interested in
glory but they want power to be able to
manipulate others that is a very strong
temptation and once you've got power
most people do not want to let go of it
and that's the sign how powerful it is
the price you pay though is you have to
worship the devil in other words they
belong power belongs to him in some ways
you no longer worshipping god you're
worshiping this lower spirit Jesus is
now ready to be the Messiah having
resisted these three temptations because
now he's ready to make God the clear
center of his life now in Lent that's
what we're all doing we're all meant to
go into the desert we're all meant as it
were to confront the devil in other
words all those temptations toward
sensual pleasure honor glory we make
those the center of your life then you
are no longer a fit bearer of God's
presence when you can rise above those
three temptations then you're ready to
do God's work in the world
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