THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (Cycle A)

 Temptation and Sin: Jesus’s encounter with Satan as the New Adam

(Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm 51: 1-13; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11)

    Lent is a movable feast within the Christian liturgical calendar, meaning its dates do not remain fixed and instead fluctuate each year. The commencement of Lent is intricately linked to the timing of Easter, a major Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date of Easter is determined by a specific formula: it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Spring Equinox, which typically occurs around March 20 or 21. Consequently, since Lent begins 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays), the starting date of Lent varies each year, depending on when Easter is calculated. This dynamic relationship highlights the intertwining of ancient astronomical observations with the rhythm of the Christian faith.
    During the Lenten season, two significant liturgical omissions occur. Firstly, we do not sing the “Gloria” hymn (“Glory to God in the Highest ...”) or the “Alleluia” before the Gospel for the entire Lenten season, with a few exceptions.
    The reason we refrain from singing the Gloria is twofold. Firstly, the hymn celebrates the coming of the Lord, echoing the angels’ words at Christ’s birth. During Lent, the Church spiritually returns to a time of exile for the people of God, who were waiting for the Redeemer-Messiah. This season of expectation is akin to Advent; however, rather than awaiting Christ’s birth from Mary, the Church anticipates Christ’s resurrection from the tomb. Secondly, the Church aligns itself with Moses and the Israelites, who shared a spirit of exile as they wandered in the desert for forty years before reaching the Promised Land. Lent is a time of struggle and purification, during which the faithful reflect on the question, “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4).
    We also omit the word “Alleluia” during Lent. “Alleluia” derives from the Hebrew Halleluyah, meaning “praise God Yahweh.” Consequently, our focus during Lent shifts from rejoicing to mourning our sins and reflecting on the barriers that hinder our authentic relationship with God. Once we have expressed sorrow for our sins and addressed their consequences through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we will be able to rejoice at Easter. This celebration encompasses not only Christ’s resurrection but also our rebirth in our covenant relationship and fellowship with the Most Holy Trinity.
    Let us delve into today's readings, which offer profound insights into the nature of temptation, sin, and God's relationship with humanity.
    In the First Reading, we are reminded of the pivotal moment in Genesis 3:1-7, where our first parents, Adam and Eve, were confronted with temptation and ultimately allowed sin to enter the world. It is crucial to note that God did not set them on the path to sin; as James 1:17-15 states, God is not a source of temptation. Instead, through the exercise of their free will, as expressed in Sirach 15:11-14, Adam and Eve made a conscious decision to prioritise their own desires over God's divine will. This act of defiance severed the intimate relationship of love established by God, opening the door to sin’s pervasive influence.
    The struggle against temptation is not a new challenge; it persists throughout the history of salvation. For many individuals, the temptations that strain our connection with God often arise from a mundane indifference to His presence. This gradual neglect can lead to moral failures and sin as one becomes desensitised to the divine calling in one's life.
    In the creation narrative, we learn that God formed humanity from the very soil of the earth, emphasising both the physical (corporal) and spiritual aspects of our being (CCC 362). When God created the first man and woman, He placed them in the Garden of Eden, a protected space designed for intimate fellowship with Him. Within this sacred garden stood the Tree of Life, which symbolised not only immortality but also the covenant between God and humankind. This "tree of life" later mirrors the Cross of Jesus Christ, which represents the New Covenant and stands as another testament to God’s promise of eternal life.
    The theme of the Responsorial Psalm resonates deeply in this context. Psalm 51, attributed to King David, exemplifies sincere repentance and a heartfelt acknowledgement of sin. David's poignant words remind us that by confessing our failings, we open ourselves to God's boundless mercy. The psalmist expresses unwavering confidence that God’s forgiving love extends to those who approach Him with humility and a contrite heart, highlighting the redemptive power of repentance.
    The Second Reading and the Gospel further illustrate the profound consequences of sin and the inherent power to resist temptation. St. Paul addresses the roots of sin and death, specifically referencing the concept of "original sin" attributed to Adam, our primordial ancestor. This doctrine teaches us that we inherit not only physical attributes from our parents but also spiritual ramifications, a state of "spiritual death" resulting from Adam’s transgression. Though we come into the world physically alive, we are born with a spiritual disposition marred by sin, complicating our relationship with God and leading to a lifelong battle against the influences of Satan and the temptation to stray from the path of righteousness. These challenge us to reflect on our own spiritual journey, the nature of our relationship with God, and the ongoing struggle against sin. They remind us of the necessity of relying on God’s grace and mercy as we navigate the complexities of temptation and strive to maintain a close fellowship with our Creator.
    In the Gospel reading, we see Jesus, often called the Second Adam, confronting the ultimate tempter, Satan, and triumphing over Satan’s attempts to lead Him into sin. This dramatic encounter follows Jesus’s baptism and His journey across the Jordan River from Perea into Judea. Here, the Holy Spirit, guiding Him, leads Jesus into the desolate and harsh Judean desert. For a gruelling period of forty days and nights, Jesus undertakes a rigorous fast, engaging in deep prayer and seeking spiritual renewal. At the conclusion of this arduous experience, He finds Himself physically weakened and hungry, a state that Satan exploits to tempt Him.
    Satan, doubting Jesus’s divine identity as the promised Messiah, seizes this moment of vulnerability to challenge Him directly, repeatedly urging Him to prove Himself as the “Son of God.” This confrontation is rich in layers of meaning, as we recognise that in battling Satan, Jesus not only faces the same temptation Adam experienced at the hands of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden but also mirrors the trials the Israelites faced in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. The Hebrew text from Exodus 4:22-23 refers to Israel as God's “first-born son,” placing Jesus’s encounter within the broader narrative of God’s covenantal relationship with humanity.
    In his epistles, St. Paul refers to Jesus as the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-47), while the early Church Fathers aptly labelled Him the “new Adam” and the “second Adam” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 359 and 504). It is essential to recognise that Satan is Jesus’s most formidable opponent, described by Jesus Himself as “a murderer from the beginning” who inherently lacks the truth (John 8:44). Jesus’s overarching mission is twofold: to liberate humanity from the shackles of sin and death while simultaneously “destroying the works of the devil”, the gravest of which is leading humanity into disobedience against God (1 John 3:8, CCC 394).
    In this spiritual contest, Satan tempts Jesus three times, citing scripture. He quotes Psalm 91:10-12, framing his arguments with the formulaic phrase “it is written” (verse 6). In response, Jesus quotes from the Book of Deuteronomy, specifically Deuteronomy 8:3 and 6:13. In doing so, He echoes the phrase “it is written” in verses 4 and 7, demonstrating His deep familiarity with the sacred texts. Notably, all the verses Jesus cites come from Deuteronomy, where Moses reflects on Israel’s trials during their journey from Egyptian bondage to Mount Sinai. Throughout His temptations, Jesus faces three fundamentally similar challenges from Satan:
1. The first test recalls the Israelites’ lament over hunger as they journeyed through the desert (Exodus 16:3).
2. The second reflects Israel’s doubt of God's presence during their trials at Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17:7).
3. The third parallels the Israelites’ capitulation to the temptation of idolatry, as illustrated in the narrative of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-6).
    Though Satan poses three comparable tests to Jesus, He stands resilient, contrasting sharply with the disobedient “sons of God” that Israel had been. Jesus, characterised as the obedient and faithful Son, adheres to His divine commission and passes each trial successfully:
1. In the first temptation, as Israel whined about their hunger and received manna from heaven (Exodus 16:3-4), Jesus, weakened and hungry, is challenged by Satan to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:3). Jesus responds by affirming reliance on God’s provision, citing Deuteronomy 8:3. 
2. In the second test, where Israel put God to the test at Massah and Meribah to confirm His presence (Exodus 17:7), Jesus refuses to succumb to Satan's demand to prove His divine sonship by leaping from the temple (Matthew 4:6).
3. In the final challenge, reminiscent of Israel’s yielding to the sin of idolatry in crafting the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-6), Jesus steadfastly rejects Satan's seductive offer to bow down and worship him in exchange for power (Matthew 4:9).
    Through each of these trials, Jesus does not falter as the Israelites did; rather, He fulfils His role as the righteous and obedient Son of God amid significant temptation. In the first test, Satan approaches Jesus in a calculated manner, seeking to see whether He would reveal His divine nature by commanding a stone to become bread to satisfy His hunger, an act no mere mortal “son of God” could perform. Jesus's response, drawing on the wisdom of Deuteronomy 8:3, reminds us that physical sustenance is secondary to the divine word and will of God.
    During the Israelites' trials in the wilderness, God tested their faithfulness to His commandments by allowing them to experience hunger before demonstrating His steadfastness through the provision of manna. Moses, as recorded in Deuteronomy 8:7-9, told the Israelites that their faithfulness would lead to the fulfilment of God's promise through their inheritance of the Promised Land. The text describes this land as a new “Eden,” a place where God would abundantly provide for all their needs, reflecting His unwavering commitment to His covenant people.
The First Test: Rejection of Temptation
    In the first test of His earthly ministry, Jesus faced a direct challenge from Satan, who questioned His identity and mission. Jesus’s immediate response was to reject the devil’s taunts, showing that His purpose was not to succumb to the fleeting desires of the flesh but to fulfil the divine will of His Father. When Satan urged Jesus to turn stones into bread, citing His hunger after forty days of fasting in the wilderness, Jesus replied, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This profound statement highlights a critical truth: while material sustenance is necessary for physical life, it is the Word of God that provides true spiritual nourishment. 
    In the context of the Old Covenant established at Sinai, “life” was intricately tied to obedience to the Law of God. However, Jesus’s response carries deeper significance. He is the fulfilment of the Law and is identified as the “Living Word” and the “Living Bread come down from heaven,” symbolising His role in granting eternal life. Unlike the manna provided to the Israelites, which sustained them temporarily in the wilderness, the nourishment that Jesus offers is of a different nature; it is His very Body, referred to as the “Living Bread” in the Eucharist, given for the forgiveness of sins (as seen in Matthew 26:26-28 and John 6:53-58). This “manna” transcends earthly sustenance by providing a means for humanity to attain immortality, akin to the Tree of Life that once existed in the Garden of Eden. Through the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus continually provides His followers with the essential spiritual nourishment needed on their journey towards the ultimate fulfilment of Heaven, a new Eden.
The Second Test: Testing God’s Promises
    In the second test, described in verses 5-7, Satan transported Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and challenged Him to demonstrate His divine Sonship. The devil then quoted Psalm 91:10-12, twisting Scripture to compel Jesus to put God's promises to the test. This exchange starkly illustrates that even the adversary can manipulate sacred texts for his own agenda. Jesus responded firmly by citing Deuteronomy 6:16, declaring His refusal to test God by demanding a miraculous display of power, in sharp contrast to the Israelites' faithlessness during their wanderings in the desert.
    Deuteronomy 6:16 refers to an important episode in Israel's history, the events at Massah, recorded in Exodus 17:1-7. The Israelites, thirsty and desperate, questioned God’s commitment to provide for them. This rebellion against the Lord reflects a lack of faith and trust. Through Moses, Yahweh instructed the Israelites to remain loyal, diligent, and obedient rather than testing God, emphasising that the blessings of the Promised Land depended on their fidelity to Him. Jesus, as the embodiment of faithfulness and obedience, countered Satan's temptation by affirming His complete trust in His Father’s promises without demanding signs. 
The Third Test: True Allegiance
    In the final and most intense test, Satan offered Jesus dominion over all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. Again, Jesus rejected this temptation by quoting Scripture, this time from Deuteronomy 6:13. Here, Moses contrasted the true God with the Pharaoh of Egypt, who was venerated as a god-king. The phrase “his is the name by which you must swear” signifies the cultural context of oaths of loyalty within Israel's covenant relationship with God. 
    Jesus stands in stark contrast to both the Israelites, who were deemed “the first-born sons of God” (Exodus 4:22), and Adam, the original human being. While both failed in their loyalty to God, succumbing to doubt and temptation, Jesus remains the perfect Son of God, unwavering even in the face of hardship and the allure of power. While the Israelites turned to idolatry with the Golden Calf and Adam yielded to temptation for the promise of becoming god-like, Jesus’s allegiance remains solely with God the Father. Having withstood these covenant trials, the devil finally departed, and angels from heaven came to minister to Him, signifying divine approval and fortification.
Guidance for Overcoming Temptation
    In moments of temptation, we are encouraged to emulate Jesus's steadfastness. One practical approach is to reject the devil's deceitful whispers with firm declarations, such as “Get away, Satan!” and to arm ourselves with the truths of Scripture. We can draw strength from God, remembering St. Paul's reassurance: "No trial has come to you, but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial, he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

Dr Nicholas Macedon, OCD, Director 

Jeeva Jyothi Carmelite Institute of Spirituality (JJCIS),

Old Gandarvakottai,

Pudukottai - 613301. 

Tamil Nadu, India 

What's app - +91 - 9698453101

nicholasocd@yahoo.com

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