by Fr. Jose “Joesum” Sumampong, Jr.
February 21, 2021
First Sunday of Lent (Year B)
Genesis 9: 8-15 / Psalm 25: 4-9 / 1 Peter 3: 18-22
Mark 1:12-15
THE REALITY OF TEMPTATIONS
Word: We must pay attention to the link between the Baptism of Jesus and His Temptation, expressly underlined by all the three Synoptic gospels.
It may help us to understand this: in our conversation, the word “temptation” is often devalued, used childishly. For a child, to be tempted means “to feel like doing what his or her parents have forbidden him or her to do: eating candies before meals, taking money without permission, etc.” And, for adults formed by a taboo-oriented education, to be tempted usually means “to feel like doing forbidden immoral acts”. But, in the gospels, temptation comes in the field of Faith or non-faith in God.
Genuine temptation is linked with baptism: it is a temptation specific to believers, specific to the Church, specific to the children of God. This is the temptation which Jesus asks us to overcome through daily prayer: “Lead us not into temptation”, (I Cor 10:13; cf. CCC 2848).
to the test of Faith.
At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan (Mk 1:12-13a). In the Bible, the Spirit of God often appears as a kind of force, “the fury of the tempest”, “the irresistible violence of the lighting and of fire”. The temptation of Jesus must be very important in his life, that is necessary to him, for the Spirit of God to lead him into it with such force.
William Barclay writes, “In this life it is impossible to escape the assault of temptation; but one thing is sure—temptations are not sent to us to make us fall; they are sent to strengthen the nerve and the sinew of our minds and hearts and souls. They are not meant for our ruin, but for our good. They are meant to be tests from which we emerge better warriors and athletes of God.”
Mark does not mention that Jesus “fasted”, as Matthew and Luke do. He does not say, either, that the temptation came “at the end” of the forty days, but during the entire duration of Jesus’ stay in the wilderness. Jesus was tempted for the entire duration of his human life—especially at the time when he begins his mission as “the Son of God”.
Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark does not explicitly state that Jesus came out victorious from temptation. But he says the same thing through these two phrases: “the wild beasts” and “the angels”. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him (Mk 1:13a).
Yes, while Adam the first man gave way to the temptation of “being like God”, Jesus overcame this very temptation, and then the great Reconciliation became effective—the peaceful co-existence of man and nature.
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Order: When man refuses to dominate, when man refuses the image of “certain type of God”—when he accepts his helplessness and lives his Faith—then only does he re-discover paradise, then only is he a “man according to God”.
The gospel for today is challenging us to find ourselves once again in peaceful communion with all our fellow human beings, with the cosmos, with the “wild beasts” and “the angels”, with heaven and with earth. Everyone is challenged to be truly “son of God” or “daughter of God” according to the Heart of God who does not dominate or impose himself. (cf. Lk 1:38).
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Realities: 1. A lark flying safely high in the air, observed a small object moving slowly along the path in a garden below. Out of curiosity it descended to take a closer look. He discovered that it was a small wagon with a cat pulling it and chanting all the time, “Fresh worms for sale. Fresh worms for sale.” Interested, the lark alighted on the path – but at a safe distance. He asked what the worms were selling for.
“Three nice worms for one feather from your wing,” said the cat. The lark thought that a bargain, pulled a feather from his wing and enjoyed the delicious worm.
Then he took off, soared around again … but the thought of that juicy worm brought him down to the wagon again. This time he bought twice as much, and bartered away two more feathers. The same thing happened several more times …
But the pussy cat was watching closely. Robbed of wing power, the lark was notable to get away when the cat sprang at him … and thus met his death in the garden … where temptation had proven too strong for him. (Tonne, TEMPTATION)
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2. Let us consider the crab. What deceptions it makes use of for the sake of obtaining food. It takes a delight in oysters and seeks out its meat for its feast. But to get it is a dangerous and difficult job. The food he seeks is enclosed in hard shells, where it feeds and grows well- protected. The crab cannot possibly pry open the shells. It might get caught and captured if it tried.
So the crab plays on the weakness of the oyster. It watches to see if the oyster in some remote place away from all wind, sometimes opens its tightly locked door to gather some pleasure out of a few rays of sun and some fresh air. At this relaxed moment, the crab secretly throws a little pebble into the shell which prevents the oyster from closing his house when he wants to … then the crab comes along, finds the door open and a meal inside …
A good example of temptation coming through the eyes. (St. Ambrose, TEMPTATION)
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3. During life’s pilgrimage on earth we cannot be without temptations; we profit and advance only through temptations; we should not acquire self-knowledge unless we were tried. No crown without a victory, no victory without a struggle, and no fight without temptations and enemies.
If we were never tempted, we should never be tried; is it not, therefore, better to be tempted, than to be censured without being tempted? (St. Augustine On Psalm 64, Wisdom of the Saints)
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4. A lark flying safely high in the air, observed a small object moving slowly along the path in a garden below. Out of curiosity it descended to take a closer look. He discovered that it was a small wagon with a cat pulling it and chanting all the time, “Fresh worms for sale. Fresh worms for sale.” Interested, the lark alighted on the path – but at a safe distance. He asked what the worms were selling for.
“Three nice worms for one feather from your wing,” said the cat. The lark thought that a bargain, pulled a feather from his wing and enjoyed the delicious worm.
Then he took off, soared around again … but the thought of that juicy worm brought him down to the wagon again. This time he bought twice as much, and bartered away two more feathers. The same thing happened several more times …
But the pussy cat was watching closely. Robbed of wing power, the lark was notable to get away when the cat sprang at him … and thus met his death in the garden … where temptation had proven too strong for him. (Tonne, TEMPTATION)
o0o
Direction: O towering God, I want to promise myself to you like a slave to a master. May I be untouched by any fault! O God of abundance, you enable fools to reflect; and you allow the greedy to enrich themselves, O Inspired One. Let my praise gain access to your heart, O God mighty by your own laws! May we be lucky in peace and lucky in war. Protect us always with your blessings! <Prayer to Serve God and Avoid Sin, Hindu Religion>