MARCH 3, 2017

Scripture Speaks: Christ in the

Desert
GAYLE SOMERS
http://catholicexchange.com/scripture-speaks-christ-desert

Jesus faces Gods enemy and ours, the one who has hated us from the
beginning

Gospel (Read Mt 4:1-11)

The Gospel reading begins with the phrase, At that time, to describe this
scene of Jesus temptation by the devil. At what time? In the previous chapter,
Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River, even though John protested.
Jesus insisted that He be treated like all the others there seeking a renewal in
their relationships with God. When He came up out of the water, a Voice from
heaven spoke, saying, This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well-pleased
(Mt. 3:17). It was on the heels of His public solidarity with sinners and His
Fathers expressed pleasure in Him that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

This would be a strange order of events if we didnt understand that just as

Jesus identified Himself with His brothers in baptism, He was also identifying
with them in facing the test of His love for the Father.
Our First Reading (Read Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7) recounts the original test of
man in the Garden of Eden. There a cunning serpent questioned the
authority of Gods Word. Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the
trees of the Garden? We are surprised that God allowed His enemy into the
Garden in the first place. Clearly the serpent wanted the humans dead.
Through lies (You will certainly not die) and distortions of the truth, he
seduced them into sin. Why would God give His enemy this opportunity?
We cant fully answer that question, but we do know that God made man in
His own image and likeness, so man would be free and would have to choose
to love and obey His Creator or not. The serpents temptation forced that
choice, but the need for the choice was always Gods plan. Making a free
decision to love God is part of what it means to be fully human.

The man and woman chose badly, but the serpents choice to tempt them
ended even more badly for him. In the next few verses of Genesis (not in
todays reading), we find that Gods punishment of His enemy would come
from the very kind of flesh and blood upon whom he had preyed. A woman
and her seed would someday appear on the horizon of human history. He
will bruise your head [a fatal wound for a serpent], and you shall bruise his
heel [painful but not mortal for a man]. There would be another time of
testing of man by Gods enemy, but this time, the enemy would be defeated.

Thus, our Gospel passage begins, At this time. The time for the showdown
has arrived. This was Gods timing, not the devils. It was the Spirit who led
Jesus out for this battle. See how the devil is unable to lie and distort Gods
Word in this temptation, although not for lack of trying. Jesus faced every
attack by reciting Scripture, cleaving wholeheartedly to Gods precise words
(as Adam and Eve had not done). The forty days of fasting prepared Jesus to
be entirely focused on being Gods Son in Gods way, through the appearance
of human weakness and complete dependence on His Father. In the end, He
was able to say to the devil, Get away, Satan! All the bluff and cunning of the
tempter fell to dust as Jesus resolutely refused to turn away from serving God,
no matter what the cost. He had taken His first, irreversible step towards the
Cross.

Possible response: Jesus, lead me in the way of obedience, which always

disrupts and defeats the devil.

Psalm (Read Ps. 51:3-6, 12-14, 17)

The psalm is a plaintive cry for Gods mercya recognition of the devastating
effect of the fall in the Garden. King David wrote this psalm after his sins of
murder and adultery. David was Israels brightest star, a man after Gods own
heart (1 Sam. 13:13-14), yet even he fell victim to the rebellion that lurks in
our hearts and makes us so vulnerable to the Tempter. Jesus, the new and
eternal King of Israel, makes Gods mercy abundantly available to us. He is the
answer to Davids prayer and ours: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read
it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Rom 5:12-19)

St. Paul explains what the two accounts of temptation mean for us. Adams
transgression meant death for us all. The choice he made was for himself and
all his children. Are we tempted to think that isnt fair? If so, we need to read
on, because St. Paul shows us that just as Adams disobedience, in which we
had no personal part, was counted for us, so Jesus obedience, in which we
likewise had no personal part, also counts for us. Sometimes were tempted to
think we should each be given our own shot at obedience, that we could
perhaps have done a better job than Adam. That could be dangerous, however.
If we refuse to let anothers behavior count for us, what happens if, in our one
moment of glory, when we must choose for or against God, we botch it like
Adam did? If he could fail, so could we. If we refuse to let anothers behavior
count for us, then Jesus obedience wont help us at all. We are left with our
own choices and no chance for redemption. Gods way is much better!

Possible response: Thank You, Lord, that Jesus undid for me the damage done
by Adam. Help me remember that Your grace is more abundant than sin.

Tagged as: Holy Scripture, Scripture Speaks, the temptation of Christ

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By Gayle Somers
Gayle Somers is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Phoenix and
has been writing and leading parish Bible studies since 1996. She is the author
of three bible studies, Galatians: A New Kind of Freedom Defended (Basilica
Press), Genesis: God and His Creation and Genesis: God and His Family
(Emmaus Road Publishing). Gayle and her husband Gary reside in Phoenix
and have three grown children.