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February 10, 2008 - 1st Sunday in Lent
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered,
"It is written,'One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you,
if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!
for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
-- Matthew 4:1-11
Notice the tempter's timing. It wasn't until Jesus had fasted for forty days
that the tempter arrived and tried to get Jesus to show off his divine powers with
false promises. Jesus was famished, which would lead us to believe that Jesus was at
his weakest. Or was he?
Forty days of fasting and prayer may have left him physically hungry, but spiritually
Jesus was ready. Fasting in Jesus' day was accompanied with prayer, turning one's focus
off the self on to God. With such focus, Jesus was ready for the temptations that came
his way.
During the season of Lent we are invited to focus on God. For some it can be helpful
to "fast" (abstain) from things that distract us from trusting in God. Fasting can come
in many forms as one can fast from food or drink, but what about taking a fast from even
more distracting things? How about fasting from anxiety? Could you take a fast from
judging others?
We do not enter into such Lenten disciplines to prove that we have control, but to
listen for what distracts us from listening to and trusting fully in God.
From what could you benefit from fasting these 40 days?
We pray: Lord God, our strength, the power of evil can so easily distract us
from what is true and good. Help us rely on your word and promises and not the many words
and promises that come up empty. You alone have the word of life. Amen
Lessons for the 1st Sunday in Lent:
- Psalm 32
- Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
- Romans 5:12-19
- Matthew 4:1-11
Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible,
copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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