Thoughts to live by: 1st Sunday of Lent

9 March, the first Sunday of the Lenten season

Liturgy of the Word — Dt. 26:4-10; Ps. 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15; Rom. 10:8-13; Lk. 4:1-13.

1. 1st Reading, Dt. 26:4-10 — The directives in Deuteronomy were presented by Moses to Israel as they camped on the plains of Moab (Dt. 1:1; 1:5). Despite obstacles, God still assured them that they would enter the land of Canaan, possess, and dwell in it. Numbers 18:12 instructed Israel to regularly bring the first fruits of their harvest as a sacrifice to the priests. The first fruits described in our 1st Reading are from the first harvest in the Promised Land.

"When you have taken possession of Canaan, you shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you; put them in a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose as the dwelling place for his name" (vv. 1-2).

2. Go to the priest there and say to him that you have indeed entered the land given by God. The priest shall take your basket and place it in front of the altar of God (vv. 3-4). The ritual of giving a basket of the first fruits to the priest was a gift of honor for the Lord. For it was the Lord who had graciously given it.

3. Then tell in God's presence the history of Israelites, from the time when Jacob went to Egypt, how, as alien, Jacob became a great nation, only to be oppressed and made captives and slaves, how God freed you with great power after 400 yrs of captivity and brought you to Canaan. Set the first fruits of the land before the Lord and bow down before him (vv. 5-10). Israel must never forget the love and providence of God for his chosen people.

4. Resp. Ps. 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 — Prayer of Confidence in the Lord's protection in times of danger. Say to the Lord, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust" (1-2). "No evil shall befall you... for he commands his angels to guard you.... They shall support you." You will be unharmed should you step on a venomous snake (vv. 10-13).

And God says that you cling to him and know his name and you will cry out him. He will answer you and honor you (vv. 14-15).

5. 2nd Reading, Roms. 10: 8-13 — Israel must recognize that the arrival of Jesus the Messiah signifies the termination of the Mosaic law; Israel has to put its faith in Jesus. "Christ is the end of the law for the justification of everyone who has faith" (v. 4).

We preach the word of faith. And "the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (v. 8).

6. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (v. 9). "For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the heart and so is saved" (v. 10). "The same Lord is Lord of all (both Greeks and Gentiles).... everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (vv. 12-13). The new faith is superior to the old Mosaic faith because it is open to all.

7. Gospel, Lk. 4:1-13 — The Temptation of Jesus. Filled and led by the Spirit, Jesus prepares for his public ministry by going into the desert to fast for 40 days and 40 nights, his own lenten season, the same time as that during which Moses remained in Sinai (Ex. 24:18). At the end of his fasting, he is tempted by the devil.

This is reminiscent of Israel in the desert and later in Canaan, during which Israel was tempted in the desert (Dt. 8:2). But as Israel failed to obey God, Jesus refused to disobey God. The scriptural answers of Jesus to thwart the devil are from Deuteronomy.

8. Jesus is hungry from fasting. The devil says to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answers him, "One does not live by bread alone" (Dt. 8:3). The devil then takes him to a high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world "in an instant" and says to him, "All this would be yours, if you worship me" (vv. 5-6). Jesus answers him, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve" (Dt. 6:13). Then the devil brings Jesus to the parapet of the Temple of Jerusalem and says to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down for it is written, "He will command his angels to guard you.... and will support you" (vv. 9-11; see Ps. 91:13-14). Jesus replies, "You shall not put the Lord to the test" (v. 12; see Dt. 6:16). Then the devil leaves him "for a time" (v. 13; see Mt. 16:23.)

9. Another time of testing takes place in Mk. 8:33, where Jesus calls Peter, "Satan," for "tempting" him not to go to Jerusalem and be killed.

The 3 temptations represent temptations of physical appetites and desires, pride (sensationalism), and worldly power. The responses of Jesus emphasize spiritual nourishment, trust and faith in God, worship of God over worldly pursuits.

10. Prayer — Almighty God and Father, through our observance of Lent, help us to understand your Son's death and resurrection, and teach us to reflect it in our lives. Grant this, we pray, through Christ, your Son and our Lord. Amen.

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!