First Sunday of Lent - Reflection by Jeff Koch
Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 - Psalm 51 - Romans 5:12-19 - Matthew 4:1-11
When he calls on me, I will answer him; I will deliver him and give him glory, I will grant him length of days.
As we enter Lent, we take an inward look into what is hindering us from a deeper walk with Jesus. We identify and fast from, those things that seem to continually distract us from living in the presence and words of Jesus. I believe God is constantly communicating with us, but often these things, thoughts or activities keep us from seeing and knowing what God wants to do in us and keeps us from hearing him. One of the main distractions is our common enemy, Satan. Our scriptures this week, give us insight into how we can deal with that other voice, always trying to interrupt our conversation with God.
The Genesis and Matthew readings both show an ongoing relationship with God that is interrupted by another voice. In Genesis, Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day, then the serpent shows up and starts reasoning with them. His tactics are to throw humanity off course in our walk with God. How does he do it? His name should be an indication of his method of operation: deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren, the adversary, and the tempter, among others. So, this voice, though smooth, subtle and convincing, has plans to pull you from God or to convince you to turn away from God. Jesus is in the wilderness, fasting and praying before he begins his ministry. He is communicating with his Father and spending time in quiet, then a voice, “If you are the Son of God . . .” The enemy tries to get Jesus to argue and confront him on his own identity. Satan is trying to accuse us, tempt us, lie to us, to kill, steal and destroy our faith or our relationship with God and our walk with Jesus, by making us doubt something about God or something he has said or done in our lives. Or simply just occupy our time with other things.
How do we handle this? Eve began to reason with the devil, “did God really say?” “You will not surely die.” During her trying to defend what God said, she got a caught up and, in her confusion, Satan showed them, “look at this, doesn’t this look good, it is pleasing to the eyes, and it is good for food and making one wise . . .” And they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, turned away from God and to the self, this new false self that was attempting to be “god,” outside of God. Now when Satan comes to Jesus, upon the devil’s suggestion, He didn’t get into any conversation about what he said, didn’t try to defend himself or attempt to defend God, he just quotes scripture. Martin Laird says, “in the midst Jesus’ temptation in the desert he refrained from entering into dialogue with Satan. Instead of getting caught up in the noisy commentary on the thoughts Satan was placing in his head, Jesus quoted lines of scripture.” (Into the Silent Land, Martin Laird, p.123)
Two things as we deal with our adversary during Lent, first of all, is this concept of “recapitulation.” This is a fancy theological word that teaches that Jesus entering into the same situation as others who have and sinned, responding in a way that God wants us to and turns the effect or impact of that sin around. Examples: Mary saying, yes, “be it to me as you have said,” turned around Adam and Eve, saying no to God and yes to the temptation. Jesus in the garden saying, “not my will be done but yours in heaven,” turning around Israel's disobedience. It is the simple reality that recapitulation means to have a new head, a new way, to “re-cap.” Reversing the effects of the previous missteps. In other words, we follow a new leader in a new direction. Whereas Jesus responded to Satan with scripture, when we are tempted, we follow a new head, a new leader, a new way of living.
That is what Paul is getting to in our Epistle reading about the outcome of Adam’s way and choice and consequences, and that of the Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul is very straight in his language when he says, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. . . Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49) So when the accuser or the tempter or the deceiver tries to make you doubt your identity, just quote scripture to him, like Jesus did.
Call out to Jesus, seek to get really close to him and by using the scriptures allow the Word to battle the devil, and just rest in Him. “Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me . . . A clean heart, create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from before your face,
nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit. . . Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise.” (Psalm 51)
Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen!