How we are responding to God’s will?

From Safari……

Lent begins as it does every year with Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. Only Matthew and Luke describe three temptations. These temptations are typical of the temptations Jesus faced throughout his life and typically, as well, the temptations all followers of Jesus experience.

Luke includes this moment in Jesus’ life to stress that he experienced all of humanity including temptation. Although, unlike most of us, Jesus does not give into the temptations in his life and sin.

Our passage begins after Jesus’ baptism. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Luke is saying that after baptism life is not easy. Life in the Spirit is a difficult time of battling the temptations of Satan.

Where does temptation come from? An answer may be in this story from Jewish folklore:

The Evil Spirit once came dejected before God and wailed, "Almighty God -- I want you to know that I am bored -- bored to tears! I go around doing nothing all day long. There isn't a stitch of work for me to do!"

"I can't understand you," replied God. There's plenty of work to be done only you've got to have more initiative. Why don't you try to lead people into sin?

That's your job!"

"Lead people into sin!" muttered the Evil Spirit contemptuously. "Why Lord, even before I can get a chance to say a blessed word to anyone he has already gone and sinned!"

The Greek word used for devil means adversary. Wherever it comes from, the tempter can not make us do something evil. Temptation is trying to convince us to act in a certain way. Most of us know what is good and bad. The tempter tries to get us to change our will.

The role of parents, the role of the church, and our reason for gathering as community is not only to discover the difference between good and evil but also to motivate us to do the right thing. It becomes a battle of the wills--- will I follow God or will I follow another.

This season of Lent gives each of us an opportunity to reflect upon how we are responding to God’s will in our life. A time to ask ourselves, do my words and deeds lead others to God or away from God? A time to turn from the sin in our lives and strive to be more in the image of God each of us is.

“One does not live on bread alone,” but the living bread we receive in the Eucharist strengthens us to be faithful to God’s word.

Blessings on your Lenten Journey.

Fr. Ron