Lent 1 (Luke 4:1-13) “It is written.”

Temptation is a lie that seduces by a false promise. Only Truth can overcome temptation. Jesus knew this. And, Jesus practiced this.

In the first temptation, Satan suggests to Jesus that he meet a legitimate need (hunger) through illegitimate means (magic). The temptation to turn stones into bread is the temptation of the occult.

By this temptation, Satan probes for knowledge and seduces through power. Satan is not entirely sure about Jesus. He wants to know more. He suspects Jesus has power but he isn’t sure how much power Jesus has. He isn’t sure how Jesus will use his power. So, he tempts Jesus to violate the natural law of cause and effect.

Miracles do not violate natural law. They raise natural law into the Real Presence of the Divine. The Real Presence of the Divine sets nature free from corruption to manifest God’s grace. Magic is a violation of cause and effect that promises immediate pleasure but delivers greater and greater levels of distortion in the human mind, heart and will.

Jesus recognizes this and counters a lie with Truth. Jesus quotes Scripture. It was Scripture he learned as a child from the Rabbis in the Synagogue. The lesson here is direct and powerful. It is essential that children learn the Bible. By learning the Bible, children have a better opportunity to discern a lie and overcome the lie with Truth.

The second temptation is religion. It is the distortion of religion through the corruption of worship. Satan himself rejected the pattern of worship when he asked the angels to worship him. Once again he is probing for information. Is Jesus one of the innumerable angelic beings in human form? Can he be seduced as so many of the angels were seduced? The bait Satan uses for Jesus is power. Satan claims power over all the nations (which is a half- truth). He offers to give this power to Jesus so Jesus can become exactly who everyone wants him to be: a military messiah who will conquer and rule the nations. Satan assumes this is who Jesus wants to become.

Satan has used this tactic over the millennia many times with much success. He fails with Jesus as once again Jesus meets the lie of power and the half- truth of Satan’s promise with the truth of scripture. Worship is not about power. Worship is the highest form of love. The only person who can hold our worship is God. The only person who can sustain our loyalty is God.

Satan’s most subtle temptation comes as he, too, quotes scripture. It is important to understand that Satan knows the Bible better than any human being ever will. Satan has the knowledge but not the understanding. We hear in the third temptation how Satan, and those who have been seduced by his deceits, can and will use scripture to tempt those who have a knowledge of the Bible but lack the understanding of the Bible.

This is the temptation of pride. Satan challenges Jesus to prove to him on his terms and at his command that Jesus is the Son of God. It is the temptation for Jesus to assert self-will over divine will in the Plan of Salvation. This temptation repeats itself every time human beings demand that God prove himself on our own terms.

Once again, Jesus quotes the Bible. He counters a misapplication of scripture by affirming a fundamental principle of scripture. God is God. It is not for the creature to put the Creator to a test and demand a miracle. Jesus met this temptation from the place of prayer. It was the prayer his mother spoke at the Annunciation. It is the prayer Jesus would most often pray. It is: Father, not my will but Thy will be done.

Temptation is always a baited hook wrapped in a lie. The bait is usually something we want. There is always pleasure in the temptation- for a moment. The hook that holds the bait is separation from God. That separation always results in a deeply rooted existential pain.

Jesus gives us the pattern to meet temptation. We meet the lie of temptation with the Truth of God’s word revealed in the Bible. The lesson is: read the Bible. Study the Bible. Memorize the Bible. The Holy Spirit will help us. And, He will call to mind the pertinent scriptures we have placed in our minds when we need them.

We hold fast to the truth as we choose to live in the Real Presence of the Living Lord of Truth, Jesus Christ. The lesson is: meet Jesus where Jesus has agreed to meet u. Meet him in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar on the Day of Real Presence. Our Heavenly Father created time itself to hold the seventh day as the day of eternal love through worship. Cultivate the personal relationship with Jesus by making worship your chief priority.

As we hold fast to Christ we receive the infusion of divine grace that enables us to know and understand scripture. In relationship with Jesus we can meet temptation with courage and conviction. We can with Jesus live by the affirmation of Truth: It is written.