What is it about sports that we love so much? On the surface, it is just two teams chasing after a ball. However, deep down, there is something in our human nature that loves to see a fight. Perhaps it is because we are all in some kind of a fight. All of us are struggling in one way or another. By watching others put everything they have into whatever sport they’re playing, we can believe that we can also overcome whatever challenges we are facing in life.
In Sunday’s gospel, the Spirit drives Jesus into the desert for forty days to be tempted. Saint Mark mentions it in passing. Nonetheless, it points to a fight that has cosmic proportions- a true heavyweight battle. Jesus is going into the desert to struggle against the ancient serpent who led our first parents, Adam and Eve, to disobey God and lose Paradise. He is Satan, who down through the centuries has deceived the nations and caused so much suffering and misery. Jesus goes into the wilderness to draw the devil out into the open, confront him, and defeat him.
Of course, it isn’t a fair fight. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He created the devil out of nothing along with the other angels who were meant to serve God and humanity. But out of pride and envy, the devil and a third of the angels rebelled and were thrown out of Heaven. The devil hates God and he hates us because we are made in God’s image and likeness. Jesus, as the divine Son of God, could easily banish the devil to hell with just a word from His lips.
But something else happens during these temptations in the desert. He does not simply banish Satan to Hell. He does not call down angels from Heaven to defeat the devil. Rather, He struggles against Satan through his human nature. Remember, Jesus is not just the eternal Son of God, but He is the Son of Mary, and is human in every way we are. He shares our human weaknesses and vulnerabilities, which the devil attacks. So, when Jesus overcomes Satan, it is not just a victory for God but a victory for us, who share His humanity. Jesus defeats Satan, and we share in that victory.
This is an important truth for us to remember as we begin this Lenten Season. Many times we look around and see evil everywhere. And, as we confront our sinfulness during this time of penance, we also see a lot of evil within ourselves. That can be discouraging. It can tempt us to doubt that Jesus really has the upper hand over the devil. In fact, that is one of the ways the devil likes to tempt us. He wants us to get discouraged and feel defeated so that we will give up. That is when we have to remind ourselves that, in Jesus, we have already won the victory. We can stand up to evil in the world and in ourselves with confidence that, no matter how difficult the struggle will be, in Jesus we will ultimately prevail. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “The devil may have his hour, but God will have His day.”
What should we do then when we’re facing temptation and feeling discouraged? We should keep our eyes focused on Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment