First Sunday of Lent

There is greenery
even in the depths of winter.

Lectionary: 24

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.

As we enter the Season of Lent each year, the Church gives us this story of Jesus in the desert. We see a man weakened by fasting, isolation and loneliness. His mind may be distracted by these trials. Isolation and suffering have a way of breaking down our best resolutions, our self-assurance and our loyalty to loved ones. God, friends, family, politics, social concerns, vows and promises: all seem remote in the wilderness. The self is dry, unattractive, irresolute and unfocused.

Just as this self-imposed exile is coming to an end, the rabbi Satan arrives to debate with the rabbi Jesus. Their conversation is framed as a contest between two bible-quoting scholars. Both know the Law of Moses very well, but only one knows the Spirit.

Their debate reflects the unending controversy about how the scriptures should be interpreted. So long as there are Jews, Christians or Muslims in this world, we will debate the meaning of the Sacred Word. The texts were written long ago and we are always trying to understand how we should live in this new age – whether it be the first century A.D., or the 15th or the 21st. Despite the fact that some people are scholars of the Bible and far more are completely illiterate, neither scholars nor illiterates can agree on what the scriptures say, much less what they mean. We can’t even agree on what books should be in the Bible!

If all that sounds very tiresome, it is! One can enjoy this debate only on a full belly, within the comfort of warm, dry clothing, a secure home, good friends, and steady employment. A mild intoxicant might also help.

None of which were available to Jesus. He was hungry, thirsty, dirty, and lonely; and, though he speaks courteously with Satan, he is not in the company of a trusted friend. Only his intense grasp of God’s word can save him from the nagging, persistent tempter. Fortunately, Jesus not only knows the word of God; he is the word of God! His knowledge of precisely what to say is more than intuitive. Despite his wretched condition after forty days in the desert, the Son of God is an inexhaustible fountain of authority, wisdom and power. He has only to open his mouth and Satan will fall like lightning from the sky.

Many themes come together in this wonderful story. We hear of Jesus’ weakness as a human being, and of his temptation. We see the challenge of Satan which does not end with this conversation. He has departed only “for a time.” The dialogue reflects the endless arguing of Jewish rabbis which, to gentile ears, is pointless. They seem to argue for the sake of argument, but Jesus is the end of all argumentation.

Finally, we encounter the authority of Jesus. It slams Satan in the face even as it wraps around us like a mother’s blanket. There is “healing in his wings.”

In our world today there are a great many religious arguments. Everyone has an opinion about religion. That’s fine, as far as it goes, but it means nothing to practicing Christians. Jesus’ authority and that which he has given to the Church lay controversy to rest. We have more important things to do in Lent: fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
When he leads us into the wilderness of Lent, with its penitential practices and its promise of glory, we go. We might pause to explain to puzzled neighbors why we do penance during this season, but not long enough to dally in the road.