Lenten Journey 2010 February 21

Father, through our observance of Lent, help us to understand the meaning of your Son's death and resurrection, and teach us to reflect it in our lives.

Luke 4: 1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed himall the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Much has been spoken and written about how we too are tempted with offerings of power, domination and possessions, as was Jesus. Those are worthy temptations about which to consider all right, but in this context of Lent, the more important reality to consider is how we are tempted to deny our own having been also baptized. Jesus lived out His “I am” because He had listened and believed He was the Beloved. We are preparing to enter again the water and grace of being reminded of who God in Christ has said in the indicative mood and spirit, who each of us really is. Our forty days have begun. Our preparing to celebrate our identity has begun.We are who God has claimed us to be and we are called to do those actions appropriate to that name.

“The Lord will overshadow you, and you will find refuge under his wings.” Ps. 91-4

Lord God, you who breathed the spirit of life within is. Draw out of us the light and life you created. AMEN