First Sunday of Lent
There is more than one way to be hungry. There is hunger for food, of course, but we also speak of ambitious people as being “hungry for power.” In fact, when Satan tempts Jesus in the desert in today’s gospel, the physical hunger is only the pretext for the further temptations. Satan offers Jesus more than just bread: Satan offers Jesus power. Power to do things. To set aside what the Father has asked of Him and get things done.
This is the temptation we all face. We may not be hungry every day of our lives, but we all have the desire to do things, perhaps even great things, setting aside what we know God has asked of us. There may even be noble motives behind our desires. Jesus could have claimed altruism in wanting to take up Satan’s offer of being ruler of the world. What could be better than a world ruled by Jesus? To start with, one where Jesus submits to the Father, and not Satan.
In the end, these temptations must make us ask: to whom do we submit? What will we look at and say “I obey”? Will we say this to our desires, which want nothing more than satisfaction, whatever the cost? Will we say this to Satan, who wants the destruction of the world and the ruin of souls? Or will we say this to the Father, who wishes only goodness on the world? Other things may give us a short term success, but only submission to the Father will yield lasting goodness. As we begin our Lenten journey, we must resolve to become attentive to the Father’s voice, and prompt in obeying His loving will.