Managing Our Temptations - In the Light of Christ!;Homily First Sunday of Lent Year C: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Homily First Sunday of Lent Year C:  Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

·        Deut 26:4-10;

·        Ps 91:1-2, 10-15;

·        Rom 10:8-13

·        Luke 4:1-13

Managing Our Temptations - In the Light of Christ!

In today’s Gospel we heard “One does not live by bread alone.” These are words of Jesus,  charging back to Satan in that wilderness area, where he was led by the Spirit, for 40 days- long period of fasting with prayers,  and to be tempted after his Baptism. Lent, among other things, commemorates these 40 days. Lent, introduces us, as it did on Ash Wednesday, to these moments of intensive prayer, fasting and acts of charity. Lent invites us to  pay renewed attention not only to Moses, and Paul, but to Jesus and his life style, of charity, forgiveness, compassion, reaching out to the poor, the voiceless, endurance, in order to learn from him on how to manage crises, troubles, trials, and temptations.

In other words, historically no one is above or immune to temptation.  It could be temptation, even to over eat, or drink or over study putting our health in danger. It could be the temptation to get angry at our neighbor or over react when we are offended or provoked. It could be the temptation to abuse all that God has given us, including modern technology, our phones, computers, iPad, cars and other electronic, or to spend time gossiping, back-biting, doing to others, what we ourselves would not like done to us.  It could be the temptation to be selfish, not to be accountable, for those elected to serve the public. Or to disrespect our parents, or presume that experience does not matter, if you are a child, or temptation to commit one sin or the other, or do things offensive and unacceptable by our communities!

 How to manage temptation should not be taken for granted. It is an important aspect of our faith. This is why our three Evangelist Matthew, Mark and Luke took note of this, with slight variations, in the light of Christ’s events. This is why the Church is delightful with these stories and starts every First Sunday of Lent with stories of temptation in the Bible, especially that of Jesus in the wilderness.

In the first reading, Deut 26:4-10, Moses reminded the people of the need to profess their faith, to pray their “credo,” to bring their first fruits of harvest in thanksgiving to God for all that God has done for them- freedom from slavery in Egypt, won battles for them, protected them through the desert, kept his promise and covenant with Abraham. For this leader, prophet, Moses it was important for them to keep their covenant and faithfulness with God. How easy sometimes is it for us to be carried away, to be tempted to forget the Goodness of the Lord upon us and our families through our neighbors. Lent is a time we renew ourselves in the Lord, a period of gratitude, a new exodus, a new covenant, new promises and a change of old ways life.

In the Second reading, Romans 10: 8-13, Paul and Apostles of the Gentile appeals to the early Christian convert from Judaism to Christianity to learn to tolerate one another- Jews and Gentiles(covenantal nomism), and not to go back to old ways of life of temptation of discrimination, and racism, "holier than thou attitude," all in the name of Mosaic Law. None of us according to Paul, who was all things to one, Jews and Gentiles, can bribe God. Justification and righteousness is God’s free gifts to each of us. Racism, tribalism and discrimination are common phenomena world over today. We are invited to resist such temptations.

And lastly, in the Gospel of Luke 4:1-13, Jesus exemplarily resists the three temptations he was confronted with, in the wilderness, a lonely dry place, (in fact, good for prayer, fasting and penance!): temptation to turn stone into bread,  to worship Satan and to jump from the pinnacle of the temple. These temptations could represent sometimes our human inordinate urge for material things, money, wealth, political power to control others, and pride that are not called for. In others words, they warn against the temptation of losing self-control, lust, and against inordinately searching for power- especially those ones that does not come from God!

In spite  of all the oppositions, and temptations during the course of his ministry, Jesus overcame all of them through prayer, fasting, penance and effective use of the word of God. He told Satan “One does not live by bread alone,”  “you shall worship the Lord your God,” “you shall not put the Lord your God, to test.”

Each of us on our Christian journeys, especially during this Lent, can learn from Moses’ and Paul’ generations on how to overcome temptation. We can learn from Christ, mastering our scriptures and through prayers, and Lenten discipline on how to conquer temptation, knowing fully well that the grace of God will always be sufficient onto us. And none of us will be tempted beyond the strength God has given us, since none of us can live by ordinary bread alone, but with every word, promises, strengths, graces that come from God.

Reflection Questions:

1.      Have you ever been tempted and how, and how have you in the past managed your trials and temptations?

2.      How would you have handled the situations of Moses’ and Paul’s generations differently?

3.      What specifically have we learned from Christ’s responses to the tempter in today’ Gospel?

4.      Could you think of any time you have assisted you neighbor to overcome  few trials of life?