2025 3 9 – Homily Lent wk 1 Sunday Lk 4 1-13 Holy Father on the Temptations the World Proposes
Focus of homily – Temptation
Today We hear in our gospel about the 3 temptations of Jesus in the desert. On the surface these temptations don’t appear to be issues we face in our lives. Let’s check.
Can I see a show of hands?
How many people have been tempted to turn stones into bread?
However, here is the reality. Those three temptations are the exact same things that we face daily in our lives. Temptations we find so attractive.
Let me explain with the help of Pope Francis.
“These three temptations are three ways the world promises success.”( Pope Francis March 10, 2019, Angelus homily as quoted in Jim Fair March 10, 2019 reflection.)
Slide:
The three temptations of the world:
- The desire to have, have, have
- Trust in idols of power, money, success, beauty
- To use God for our own ends
Pope Francis then explained how we face these three temptations.
The first temptation – the devil approached Jesus and said, “if you are the son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
The real issue underlying this temptation is a desire to have what we want vs what God wants for us.
Desires are good but they must be tempered by how much we can afford, needs vs wants, others needs.
The First temptation was to fulfill our desires to have; “To eat, to live, to be fulfilled, to be happy.” These are all good things. Bread is a good thing. As it says in the Bible, God knows you need all these things.
(pause)
However, God does not want them to become the center of our lives. God does not want us to become worried, anxious or envious about these things. Or bitter or angry if we don’t get these things.
To be happy with what we get. I have indicated before that the key to happiness is not to get what we want but to want what we get. (repeat)
Despite having fasted for 40 days in the desert Jesus rejects this temptation!
Jesus says instead that man and woman do not live by bread alone
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Where do we find every word that comes from the mouth of God? His living word, the bible
these are the words that promise us long term peace and joy in this world and supreme peace and joy in eternal life.
Jesus’ response to the temptation is a great response for us today. Reading God’s word every week especially looking at the readings for Sunday in advance..
when I did this after my spiritual awakening 34 years ago the readings became alive for me at mass
So, Temptation #1 – The desire to have
- Jesus solution #1 – be content with what we have, read God’s word regularly
The second temptation – the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would just worship the devil. This was a particularly enticing temptation since the very reason Jesus had come to the world was to save it.
You might say how on earth does this relate to me?
The devil offered Jesus worldly power.
The temptation is to put our trust in idols other than God, the idols of power, money, success and beauty.
Personal story
In the first 34 years of my life I chased after money, power and success. And for a time I experienced some success chasing after these.
I must say, they’re pretty nice to have.
The culture promotes them.
The problem is they don’t lead to long term happiness. They don’t last.
Putting your job in first place to chase after money, power or success can work for a while but long term it will lead to problems.
Our priority should be – 1) God 2) family 3) health, 4) job. Having your priorities out of order will eventually lead to problems as it did for me.
So, Temptation #2 – to put our trust in idols of money, power, success, and beauty vs God
Jesus’ solution #2 – Nothing before God. Put priorities in right order.– 1) God 2) family 3) health and well-being, 4) job.
The third temptation – “then the devil took Jesus to the holy city and made him stand on the roof of the temple and said to him if you are the son of God throw yourself down for it is written “he will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you lest you dash your foot against a stone.””
So how does this temptation affect us in our daily lives?
This temptation is to use God for our own ends
The technical term for this is instrumentalizing God, in other words making God an instrument for our own ends.
I like to refer to this temptation as using God as a divine vending machine. Asking him for whatever we want whether it is what God wants for me or not.
Here is the hardest prayer for us to say is to ask for something and then say,
(pause)
“but thy will be done.”
One more reason to read the Bible at least weekly is that the devil knows the Bible inside and out.
In the first two temptations Jesus quoted the Bible in response to the devil. And so the devil twists the meaning of a Bible verse for the devil’s own ends.
The devil’s support for the second temptation was a quote from Psalm 91. We need to know the Bible better than the devil in order to deal with his temptations.
So, Temptation #3 – To use God for our own ends.
Jesus’ solution #3 The key to happiness – is not to get what we want but to want what we get. Read the bible.
Let me be clear, a temptation is not a sin. A temptation becomes a sin when we act on the temptation either in our thoughts, / or words, / or actions.
And so, in summary:
The three temptations that Jesus faced in the desert are the same three temptations that everyone in the world faces.
- The desire to have, have, have
- To put our trust in idols of power, money, success, and beauty vs God
- To use God for our own ends
Slide:
The three ways to avoid falling for temptation:
- Read God’s word regularly
- Right priorities 1) God 2) family 3) health and well-being, 4) friendships, 5) job
- The key to happiness – is not to get what we want but to want what we get
And the three solutions Jesus gives are the three responses we should give to the devil:
1) Read God’s word regularly especially read and reflect on the Sunday readings before coming to mass. Discuss with the family and what they mean for us today.
2) Have everything else second to God. Have our priorities in right order – 1) God 2) family 3) health and well-being, 4) friendships, 5) job
3) The key to happiness – is not to get what we want but to want what we get
Be content with God’s plan for our lives. Focus on what have vs focus on what don’t have. See glass half full vs half empty.
Do this and you will be the most happy you can be on earth and supremely happy for eternity in heaven.
God bless you all!
