We begin the season of Lent by acknowledging our sins and admitting our faults. Rather than blame others or hide from our shortcomings, we place ashes on our foreheads as a sign and confession that we need Jesus to receive forgiveness and mercy.
Here are some of the powerful themes that surface in the 1st Sunday of Lent.
1st Reading – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7
God breathes life into the man who is formed from the clay.
In the garden in Eden, God plants many trees, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The serpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and she and Adam eat it.
Psalm – 51:3-6,12-13,17
“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
Acknowledging our sins, we call upon the Lord for mercy and ask for a clean heart and a steadfast spirit.
2nd Reading – Romans 5:12-19
Through the transgression of one man (Adam) condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act (Jesus) acquittal and life came to all.
Through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one (Jesus), the many will be made righteous.
Gospel – Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert, where he fasts for forty days and nights and is then tempted by the devil.
The first temptation: command stones to become bread. Jesus rejects this, citing Deuteronomy 8:3.
The second temptation: jump off the parapet of the temple. Jesus rejects this, citing Deuteronomy 6:16.
The third temptation: worship Satan and receive the kingdoms of the world. Jesus rejects this, citing Deuteronomy 6:13.
The temptation and capitulation to sin has now led Judas to a moment of action. As he betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, we recall how all sin leads us ultimately away from God and one another.
John’s Gospel reveals the moment when Judas gave in to Satan’s temptation in the darkness of night. Enlighted by this passage, we recognize that we face a daily spiritual battle with evil that requires our vigilance and trust in the Lord.
John’s Gospel sheds light on the vulnerability of Judas: his stealing from the common money purse has already made him vulnerable to temptation and sin…easy prey for Satan.
The prophecy of Caiaphas sets the stage for our greatest love story: how God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for our sins that we might have eternal life.
Jeremiah affirms that God is his mighty champion, a source of protection in times of trial. May we echo his sentiment as we proclaim the psalm response, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice!”
Throughout salvation history God has forged covenants with his people, ultimately fulfilled in the great revelation of love in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
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