Genesis 2:7–9; 3:1–7; Psalm 50(51); Romans 5:12–19; Matthew 4:1–11
Defeating Temptations
Dear friends, today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent. Lent is a special season of deep reflection on the love of God revealed in the suffering and death of His only begotten Son. These forty days offer us a disciplined opportunity to examine whether we are living according to the demands of our faith. Through repentance and amendment of life, we are reconciled with God and neighbor. The Church proposes four pillars to guide us: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance. These practices belong to daily Christian life, yet during Lent we intensify them as we “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). If we persevere faithfully, transformation will not be theoretical but visible. Are you approaching this Lent as a routine season or as a concrete opportunity for conversion?
This season also invites us to confront the reality of sin and its consequences, both personal and social. The first reading presents the origin of sin in the disobedience of our first parents. “The Lord God commanded the man, saying… ‘You shall not eat’” (Gen 2:16–17). Yet the serpent introduced doubt: “Did God really say…?” (Gen 3:1). The fall began not with hunger but with mistrust of God’s intention. Similarly, though Baptism cleanses us from original sin, we remain vulnerable to temptations and gradual compromise. Temptation often begins subtly—with a distorted thought about God, us, or others. Where in your life has doubt weakened your obedience to God’s word?
Experience confirms this pattern. When we begin a new chapter—whether in work, study, or community—we often resolve to live uprightly. However, it does not take long before negative influences begin to reshape our thinking. The serpent rarely appears openly; temptation is mediated through voices that normalize wrongdoing. Once disorder sets in, the instigator disappears, leaving us to manage the consequences. Scripture warns, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14). Breaking the cycle requires vigilance and moral courage. Are you attentive to the influences that shape your decisions?
In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates how temptation is defeated. After fasting forty days, “the tempter came” (Mt 4:3). The first temptation concerns bodily appetite: “Command that these stones become loaves of bread.” Jesus replies, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; Deut 8:3). Hunger exposes vulnerability, yet Christ refuses to reduce His identity to physical need. Many moral failures begin with uncontrolled bodily desires. Discipline, supported by grace, restores freedom. Because of a distorted appetite for an easy life, many public officers spend their entire careers eating the proceeds of corruption and forget to build their own retirement plan. When they retire, and those proceeds are no more, they become poor and sick. Are you benefiting from the proceeds of corruption? Which appetites in your life require greater spiritual discipline?
The second temptation appeals to fame and recognition: “Throw yourself down… for it is written…” (Mt 4:6). The devil manipulates even Scripture to justify spectacle. Jesus responds, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Mt 4:7). The desire to be admired can distort motives and compromise integrity. Shortcuts to success often conceal long-term costs. As Psalm 50 reminds us, “A pure heart create for me, O God” (Ps 50:12). Are your ambitions ordered toward service, or toward self-display?
The third temptation concerns power and material wealth: “All these I shall give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Mt 4:9). Jesus answers decisively, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve” (Mt 4:10). Easy power and quick wealth promise security but demand misplaced allegiance. History repeatedly proves that unjust gain leads to interior emptiness and external suffering. St. Paul contrasts Adam’s disobedience with Christ’s obedience: “Through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so through one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom 5:19). Who truly governs your choices—God or the silent idols of power and possession? Do you think you can cure poverty, hatred, or sickness that you have accumulated for years through laziness, negative attitude, and addiction, by a single miracle?
Dear friends, Christ entered our human condition, “tempted in every way, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). He did not defeat the devil through spectacle, but through fidelity to the Father’s word. Lent invites us to align ourselves with that same obedience. If we make space for Christ through prayer, fasting, repentance, and charity, His victory becomes ours. Grace does not eliminate struggle, but it strengthens perseverance. As we begin this journey, are you prepared to confront temptation with the clarity and firmness of Christ?
Have a fruitful Lenten season.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 