Lenten Sundays: The First Sunday

Simon Bening
Flemish, Bruges, about 1525 - 1530 (Getty Museum)

The Temptation of Christ

If it's the First Sunday of Lent it must be the Temptation of Christ. The old devil there making promises he can't keep to the one who can prevent him from doing what he wants. The old devil making another feeble attempt at overcoming God.

Doesn't he ever learn?
Does he really think he can win?

If it's a day in which you can breathe and move and be up and take nourishment, then it must be a day of temptation.

Back there, at the pinnacle of the Temple promising supernatural power, jumping and letting angels catch you to prove once and for all that God is on your side- that is today. That is today.

How about there on the side on a high place looking out and seeing all the nations of the world that can be yours- unlimited power and adoration- that is today. That is today.

Or right there in front with those stones, so tempting in the midst of hunger, tiredness, loneliness. You have the power to do something with them. Do it. Just do it. That is today.

In my life, in your life, in the life of all who walk and talk. I like power. I like adoration. I like to test God. I like to find out how special I am. Somewhere I think we have missed the point of the story. We pay lip service today to these basic and base temptations and then go about condemning sin in others who are doing things we would never consider doing. But there, in that picture, there in Luke's words, there in Jesus Temptation we see sin.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.