Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Jesus was tempted. So are we.
It’s been said that most people who fly from temptation usually leave a forwarding address.
Or, as someone once observed, “Opportunity only knocks once, while temptation leans on the doorbell.”
Jesus dealt with his temptation by using God’s Word. Each of his rebuttals to Satan were quotes from the Bible. We should know the Bible well so that we can also use it as a defensive shield.
Jesus was strong and he must have tired Satan. “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.”
Notice that the devil was still not finished with Jesus. He would tempt him again.
Now, we know the difference between Jesus and us. He never gave in. He remained true to his identity as God’s Son. We do give in. We do not remain faithful to our identity as a child of God.
So, what do we do?
We do our best to train ourselves to resist temptation. That chocolate some of us are avoiding during Lent is a simple exercise to strengthen our ability to resist temptation. Sometimes it works, but as we also know, sometimes it doesn’t.
So, we do our best to avoid temptation. We should resist even the near occasion of sin. We should find groups of people who support us in our basic beliefs and values and avoid those who will lead us astray. But what if that fails?
Let’s remember that we still have confessionals in our Churches, where Jesus is ready to give us the mercy of God through the words of a priest serving as his instrument of love, “I absolve you from your sins.” He also gives us the grace that will strengthen us when the next temptation comes. Remember, just as he did with Jesus, the devil will depart from us — “for a time.” And then, we will need to call out to the Lord, once again, “Save me, Lord, for I am easily led astray.” The Lord is always nearby waiting to help us.