1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes
A young child is brought into an empty room and seated at a table. On the table is a plate with a single yummy marshmallow. An adult explains that if the child waits fifteen minutes to eat the treat, one more yummy marshmallow will be given. Will the child eat one treat now or enjoy two treats later? Versions of this experiment are known as the Marshmallow Test. Studies of the Marshmallow Test have varied in their findings about how much this predicts a child’s future academic and social success. But in every test, a person faces a free choice: to either grasp at an easy thing, or to resist temptation and obtain something better. The temptations of Jesus in the desert were a high-stakes test which our Lord passed and we can learn from.
During Jesus’ public ministry, when “unclean spirits saw him,” St. Mark records they would fall down before Jesus and shout, “You are the Son of God!’” But St. Luke records how Jesus “rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.” The title “Son of God” was thought a reference to the Messiah, Christ, or Anointed One spoken of in the 2nd Psalm. During the Temptations in the Desert, the devil may or may not have known that Jesus is divine, but the devil’s questions show he at least strongly suspected that Jesus was the Christ, the prophesized King of the Jews: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. … I shall give to you all this power and glory… All this will be yours, if you worship me. … If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from (this roof ledge of the temple).” With each temptation, the devil was placing before Jesus an easy way to become a flawed Messiah.
Like the forty days of Moses atop Mount Sinai, Jesus ate nothing for forty days in the desert and he felt hungry. By suggesting that he tell stones to become bread (possibly against God’s command that he fast) the devil was enticing Jesus to be a materially-focused Messiah. Yet “man does not live on bread alone.” Giving everybody bread without saving their souls would doom the whole world to death. Instead, Jesus obeys his Father, and goes on to change bread into his Flesh for the life of the world. By suggesting that Jesus worship the wicked “Prince of this World” the devil was enticing him to grasp at worldly power like evil lords, kings, and emperors. Instead, Jesus establishes a Kingdom in this world not of this world and reigns now as our uncorrupted, holy, righteous King. By suggesting that Jesus jump off from the height maybe the devil sought to fool him into presumptuously ending his own life, or maybe he wanted Jesus to be a Messiah who would refuse to die so he could never be the Lamb of God whose sacrifice takes away the sins of the world. Instead, Jesus is obedient unto death, even death on a cross, winning for himself and for us a resurrection to glory. Each time, Jesus resists the temptation, refusing the easy evil way but obtaining something better for himself and others.
Our daily temptations may not be so dramatic as Jesus’ in the desert, but we frequently face similar tests. When you are tempted to sin, consider the cost and opportunities lost. If you choose to throw rocks through your windows, if might be fun in the moment but you will lose money and time repairing them. And that money you would have used for a nice meal or clothing or some other good thing will instead be spent on panes of glass. If you choose to sin, it will cost you; not only in the pains which follow but also in the goods things you fail to obtain. When the devil would lead you down the smooth and easy path, call out to the Lord and trust Jesus enough to take the path that Christ has shown you. We see the greater things Christ’s faithful obedience ultimately brought himself and others. Patiently endure in order to see the victories it leads to in this life and the next life, in this world and the world to come. Remember the Marshmallow Test and pass the test before you.
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March 11, 2025 at 8:54 am |
The idea that a fallen angel could tempt God is kind of preposterous isn’t it. God couldn’t really be tempted they way we are since God knew what was coming, unlike people like me. I don’t deny that Satan exists or that we are tempted but to suggest our temptations are the same as God’s in the desert is really kind of silly. God knew it wasn’t in Satan’s power to give away all the kingdoms that could be seen from a hill in the Mideast. Those kingdoms already belonged to God. On the other hand none of us own any kingdoms so we could easily be tempted by such a promise.
March 11, 2025 at 1:17 pm |
Anybody can tempt God, if you understand what “tempt” means. Tempting, in our common usage, refers to appealing to a desire that a person has that they may be resisting. But “tempt” means “to test” or “to prove”. Tempting God, in this, is to do something to create a situation yourself, and ask God to intervene or act as a test of God. That is a sin, hence the commandment not to do it. A demon, of any strength, who was unsure of Christ’s identity, because it was hidden from them, would surely be able to test the individual by presenting what the demon believes to be irresistible to fallen man.
It is also unwise to interpret scripture yourself. The idea that the “mountain” was literally a mount that has a line of sight to our eyes to see what could be seen is only what that sentence means is probably a mistake.
It is also within the power of the “prince of this world” to temporarily grant temporal things to mortals. It certainly all belongs to God, but in this temporal existence, we have the ability to sin, to turn away from greater goods for lesser, and pursue such things that are ultimately vain. And Satan does the same: his time is short after all.