First Sunday of Lent, February 14, 2016
Dt 26:4-10, Rom 10:8-13, Lk 4:1-13
Ithaca Brookdale
Today’s first reading is from the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible. Deuteronomy serves as a kind of summary of the law and a collection of lessons learned from the Israelites’ forty years in the desert. Today’s first reading illustrates the proper relationship between the people and God; we remember his kindness to us and our dependence on him, and we offer him the first fruits of what he has given us.
The Gospel passage for today is the familiar story of the temptation in the desert. “Temptation” here means test; Satan is testing Jesus, but what exactly is being tested in this passage? What are the take-home lessons for us?
After fasting, Jesus is very hungry, and in the first test Satan helpfully suggests that with his great powers he could easily turn one of the stones into bread. Let’s modernize this: why not turn it into a big mac? What’s wrong with that suggestion? There’s nothing wrong with keeping up your strength. If I’d been fasting for 40 days, I’d be very happy to eat a big mac. But Jesus quotes scripture: “One does not live on bread alone.”
Can anyone tell me what book of the Bible this quotation is from? It’s from Deuteronomy. When the Israelites were hungry in the desert on the way to the promised land, they grumbled and wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt, where at least they had food. In Deut. 8:3, Moses reminds the people that God fed them manna in the desert. Jesus is saying here that his priority has to be God’s kingdom, not feeding his own face. God will provide the things we really need. This is not an argument against work and thrift, but an argument for faith and right priorities.
In the second test, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms in the world if he will worship him. I imagine Satan actually offering his services to Jesus to help bring about the kingdom of God. As I envision this, Satan says, “One obvious way to institute the kingdom of God is by becoming king and then making everybody do the right thing. Look, I’m the world’s best political advisor. I’ve advised kings, emperors, and presidential candidates from both Democratic and Republican parties, and my methods work. If you do what I say, then in five years you can be king of Israel. After that, there is no limit to what we can do together. In fifteen years, I can make you emperor of Rome! Imagine that! You can make sure that everybody in the world does God’s will. Just do what I tell you, and it’s a sure thing!”
But Jesus responds, “But I would have to do everything you say.” “Of course,” Satan responds, ‘I would set the program—because I know how these things work.” But Jesus again quotes scripture: “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve. I have to do God’s will, not yours, and other people have to serve God, not me.”
Can anyone tell me what book of the Bible this second quotation is from? Yes, it’s from Deuteronomy (Deut 6:13). Moses worries that when they are prosperous the Israelites will forget that everything they are and have comes from God. The attitude he worries about is very American, by the way. Remember the film Shenandoah (1965)? In it, the character played by Jimmy Stewart prays this Thanksgiving prayer:
Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eatin’ it, if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked Dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel. But we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for this food we’re about to eat. Amen.[1]
Moses and Jesus are not against hard work and taking responsibility. The point is to recognize our dependence on God and not to take short cuts that go against God’s will.
After Jesus passes these first two tests, Satan tries again, even using a verse from today’s psalm to make his argument. I envision him saying, “Okay, I understand that you reject political power, but if you want anybody to hear your message, then you’ve got to have a good press agent and you’re going to need a miraculous sign to get people’s attention. Now, here’s a surefire way to make a big splash. You and I both know that God is with you and really wants your message to get across. So go to Jerusalem, go up to the top of the temple, and throw yourself off. God does not want you killed; he will make sure that you land unharmed. Do this on a day when the temple is full of people, and your ministry is guaranteed success.”
But Jesus responds, “It would be wrong to try to force God’s hand like that. We are here to serve God, not the other way around. As it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’”
Who can tell me what book Jesus is quoting here? Yes, it’s Deuteronomy again. Jesus loved the book of Deuteronomy and was steeped in the spirit exemplified in today’s first reading. Deuteronomy taught him to put God’s will before his own needs, to trust in God’s power, and not to expect God to do his bidding. Good examples to remember as we begin this holy season of Lent.
[1] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzzyZ1M-kVU