First Sunday of Lent - Waiting For The Right Moment

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert

to be tempted by the devil.

He fasted for forty days and forty nights,

and afterward, he was hungry.

Today's Gospel reading is the familiar story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the desert.  I want to talk about the very beginning of this story because I believe it tells us something very important about our enemy, the devil. 

I think that the Holy Spirit proved Himself to be a master of understatement here. After fasting for forty days and forty nights we are informed that Jesus was hungry.  Do you think so?  

The devil is not a stupid being.  He did not approach Jesus at the start of the forty-day fast. At the start of the fast, he knew that we human beings are at our strongest and would be capable of easily casting him off.  No, he waited until the end of the fast to tempt Jesus. The devil knew that was when he had the best chance of being victorious. Jesus, for His part, resists the temptations and the devil trudges off in defeat to await another opportunity. 

As it was for Jesus, so too is it for us. The devil is unlikely to put on a major campaign at the start of our Lenten observances.  He knows human beings are very enthusiastic at the start of a spiritual journey such as Lent.  No, he will wait until we have walked the road for a time.  Then, he will point out very softly how long the road is.  He will put into our head the question, "Does this road always have to go uphill?"  He makes our hunger sharper and our thirst drier as he tells us, "You are not built for this."  He shows how other people are happy and carefree as they stray from the path of Jesus.  Some of us will fall, some of us will stop our Lenten observance and join the crowd that cares nothing for spiritual things. Some of us will fall and we will call upon Jesus to help us. Jesus will help you arise and carry on.  Jesus is with us in every step of our journey during these forty days of Lent.  He will see to it that although our legs are tired and our arms are weary and we feel too weak to continue, that we will have the strength to continue.  Keep Him at your side and you will not fail. 

SINCE WE REMEMBER THE RESURRECTION ON SUNDAY, SUNDAY'S ARE NOT COUNTED AMONG THE FORTY DAYS OF LENT. YOU MAY IF YOU WANT TO, RELAX YOUR OBSERVANCE TODAY.