You and I have had "wilderness" experiences. In some ways, our days in school were wilderness adventures. Most of us survived; some got out with scars, emotional and otherwise, others had their world view changed, some for the good, others for the not-so-good. Had most of us been, like Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, we might have had different outcomes. We were tempted with things and people that we thought if we don't take advantage now, we'll never have this chance again. Some of us walked away. Some of us did not. One summer, during my high school years, and I could have started this in a biblical way, In the year that AstroWorld opened in Houston... (AstroWorld was an amusement park across the street from the Astrodome, now gone. But it opened with the claim that their wooden roller coaster was the biggest and baddest. Its name was the Texas Cyclone. I had not yet gone to the park, thus my having a summer job at the plant with my Dad. He worked in another building and I in one where we assembled computer components. These were telephone booth (remember those?) sized computers. My job was to wash assembled mother boards with freon. Great smell, not! There was a cool guy who worked there, a surfer type. He had long hair, spoke like that turtle in Finding Nemo, wore the wild shirts, and just seemed to be in another world. One morning he approached me and showed me a napkin. "Hey, Mister Chicano Dude, look at this!" I looked in the napkin and saw a clear little square. "This is Window Pane!" He laughed as if I knew what Window Pane was. I thought it must be the window pane of a very small doll house. He did not hesitate, "It's acid, man! LSD! You cut this in four, take a tab and man it's quite a rush!" I just looked at him and thought, so this is why we've been told about drugs and stuff at school? "You been to AstroWorld yet? Why don't we go this coming Saturday, we'll cut a tab, get on the Cyclone and it'll blow our minds!" I thanked him for the offer and walked away. It was an encounter I never forgot, but thank God for the ability to say no to something that ruined many a person's life.
Jesus, immediately after His baptism, was led to the wilderness. His intent was to spend forty days in prayer and fasting to prepare for His earthly ministry. His plans to be made stronger spiritual encountered offers from the devil to do otherwise. The first temptation came at the end of this preparation time when famished by not having had any food for 40 days, the devil presents to HIm a rock from the region that looks also like the bread of the region. "Hey, Son of God, prove Your power in turning this rock into bread." The first temptation was a logical one, feed yourself at any cost, even if it means using your power to transform rocks into bread. Jesus quotes Scripture saying, "One does not live by bread alone." Jesus is then led up to a mountain top (according to the other accounts) and show in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and they are offered to him by the devil who says that they are his. All he asked in return was for Jesus to worship him. In other words, power, honor and glory can be yours if you turn your spiritual attention to me! Again, scripture, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Then, taking Jesus to the Holy City, to the holy place, the Temple at the very top of the temple, Jesus is asked, "If you truly are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here," and here the devil shows that he, too, knows the Scriptures, "For it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Interesting how the devil knows both the Word of God and that the Word of God was fulfilled in Jesus. But Jesus again responds with scripture and says, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." And the devil left him "until an opportune time."
The devil was not through with Jesus, and he's not through with you or me. The Bible says he awaiting "an opportune time." We should know our weaknesses for temptation knows them. Those of you who gave up chocolates for Lent, bummer that today is Valentine's Day! The same for sweets, for you will be offered sweets galore. The challenge always has been to say Yes to God in a world that seems to say No to God. To say yes to God will sometimes mean our having to say no to chances, opportunities, etc. that we believe will benefit or bless our lives. The ultimate question had to be, Will this serve God if I say yes to this? It may mean saying Yes to God by saying No to the world.
This is but Day One of our Lenten Journey. We journey not alone, but with God always present. Let Jesus do the talking, we do the listening. Let our lips be used to praise God and give God glory.
PRAYER: Loving God, for the times we have said No to temptation we are thankful. As we start this Lenten Journey, journey with us; bless us and guide us to a deeper faith. May I today be stronger spiritually than I was yesterday. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Thought for the Day
Lent is about pleasing God not us!
