Meditation
for the First Sunday of Lent
(Gen
2:7-9; 3:1-7; Rm 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11)
In response to the first temptation, Jesus said to the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The word of God is the anchor that can sustain in time of temptation. In the first reading, Adam and Eve lived by God’s word and avoided eating the forbidden fruit until the serpent deceived them. They pulled off from the authority of God’s word and relied on their selfish desires. In the second reading, St Paul explains that, just as one Adam’s sin let to condemnation for all men, “So one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.” That means the life of the word of God comes to us as we participate in the righteousness of Jesus, in whom is the fullness of life. Therefore, as we live out the righteousness of Jesus, we shall conquer every temptation.
To the second temptation, Jesus responded, “You shall not tempt
the Lord your God.” Sometimes in the face of temptation, we can be so casual, trying
to take advantage of God’s mercy. At times too, we are taken over by pride and become
presumptuous. At this point we exaggerate our capacity to overcome the
temptation, and we begin to lay claim to God’s protection. However, man cannot
condition God to come to his aid. Adam and Eve knew the forbidden fruit would
bring death, yet they decided to take the risk. They got carried away by the
empty promises projected by the serpent. You cannot throw yourself down from
the pinnacle of the temple, and presuming that God will send His angels to
protect you. So, in the face of temptation, we must not project our ego, instead,
we respond with humility like Jesus, who through His obedience brought
righteousness and justification to many.
Thirdly, Jesus quickly replied, “Begone, Satan! For it is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’” The promptness
of the response says it all: the child of God should react swiftly against any
temptation that threaten his faith and worship of God. Think about how Eve
allowed the serpent to question her loyalty to God! We must realize that there
are some issues about our faith in God that are not open to questioning and
debate. Our response to such temptations must be, ‘Begone, Satan.’ This swift
response must be applied against any temptation that tries to hinder us from
participating in the righteousness of Jesus, for it is by Jesus’ obedience and
act of righteousness that set us free from the bondage of sin and death. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Sunday February 26th, 2023.
