Reflection for 3/9/14

While today is officially the First Sunday in Lent, from the readings today I think it could just as easily be Temptation Sunday.  Two of the readings in church today were classic stories of temptation, one ending in failure, one in triumph.

The first one was of course the classic scene from Genesis with Eve and the Serpent having a conversation about whether to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the other Jesus being tempted by Satan after a forty day fast.

As I thought about those two stories I thought about how in most of our lives temptation always seems to show up. The Genesis story is just like having that "friend" who tells you that there won't be any trouble if you follow his lead and do something that might seem to be fun or perhaps even risky.  Maybe your parents told you not to do it, but that nagging voice, perhaps even taunting you is just too much to ward off.  And suddenly you crossed a line you knew you shouldn't cross.  In the passage the argument was that God told the humans that if they ate that fruit they would die.  The serpent of course telling them they wouldn't.  In terms of a literal physical death the serpent was right, they lived.  However what did die was a trusting relationship between God and those two humans.  The relationship wasn't killed but it changed radically.  Perhaps in the same way that our relationship with those we love changes when trust gets violated.

As I contemplated Jesus' temptation I saw that reality of how when we are physically weak, that we can be spiritually vulnerable.  I doubt I would be at my best after 40 days with no food. Sometimes 40 minutes seems like an eternity.  I also noticed that the devil can use scripture just as well as the most devout.

The other thing I realized is how temptation plays such a role especially in Lent.  If we gave something up, something for Lent, and if it was something that we usually have or take part in, how tempting it can be to revert back.  Or if  you took something on for Lent, how tempting it can to do something else.

I hope your Lenten journey is one that has more time spent with God, than warding off temptation.

Blessings,
Ed