LENT: JESUS BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION . [MATT 4:1-11].

 AS WE LOOK TO THE WORD " LENT," WHICH STEMS FROM THE GERMAN WORD " " WHICH MEANS SPRING. "LENZ" IMMEDIATELY DRAWS ONE'S ATTENTION TO THE  NATURE OF LENT. IT IS THE SPRINGTIME OF THE SOUL, A TIME TO BE REAWAKENED FROM THE FROZEN NATURE OF SIN'S COMPLACENCY AS WE ARE AWAKENED BY THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND REVITALIZED. BY THE BRACING WATERS OF HIS BAPTISM.
FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY ONWARD, LENT WAS EXTENDED FROM A BRIEF FAST IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF EASTER. TO A PERIOD OF FORTY-DAYS. OF SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION. REMINISCENT OF ISRAEL'A FORTY DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS AND THE FORTY DAYS OF OUR LORD'S TEMPTATION IN THE DESERT, LENT. IS ALSO CONNECTED WITH THE FORTY DAYS THAT WAS THE PUBLIC SPIRITUAL REPARATION MADE BY THOSE WHO HAD BEEN EXCOMMUNICATED FROM THE CHURCH AND WHO WERE NOW BEING PREPARED TO BE READMITTED TO THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.
TODAY'S GOSPEL TELLS  OF JESUS TEMPTATION IN THE DESERT. HIS FORTY-DAY FAST BECOMES THE BASIS OF OUR LENTEN PILGRIMAGE. IN THE EARLY CHURCH LENT WAS A TIME OF INTENSE PREPARATION FOR THOSE WHO WERE TO BE BAPTIZED AT THE EASTER VIRGIL. WE LOOK AT THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. TEMPTATION!  THE ENGLISH WORD "TEMPT" HAS  NARROWED IN MEANING, AND USUALLY MEANS TO ENTICE. BUT ITS BIBLICAL MEANING IS OFTEN "PROVE" OF "TEST." NOT SOMETHING THAT STARTED WITH JESUS. THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, WRITE THESE WORD'S ; IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORDS; " I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH YOU AND WITH ISRAEL.' HE WAS THERE WITH THE LORD FORTY-DAYS FORTY-NIGHTS; HE NEITHER ATE BREAD NOR DRANK WATER AND WROTE ON THE TABLETS THE WORDS OF THE COVENANTS, " THE TEN COMMANDMENTS." AND 1st KINGS TELL US THE STORY OF ELIJAH'S MEETING WITH GOD AT HOREB. AN ANGEL OF THE LORD, TELLS ELIJAH TO GET UP AND EAT OTHERWISE THE JOURNEY WILL BE TO MUCH FOR YOU. HE GOT UP AND ATE AND DRANK, THEN HE WENT IN STRENGTH OF THAT FOOD FORTY-DAYS AND FORTY-NIGHTS TO HOREB THE MOUNT OF GOD. " NOW IT'S JESUS TIME TO BE PUT TO  THE TEST  THAT ISRAEL FAILED.
HE WAS LED UP BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. THE OPPOSITION BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN, BECOMES CLEAR IN THE N. T., AS HE TESTS JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS. THE DEVIL BEING LEADER OF THE KINGDOM OF EVIL, OVERSEEING MANY TEMPTATIONS OF THE DISCIPLES, THE CHRISTIANS COMING TO THE FAITH, BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SIN OF PETER  (16:23). (WHERE PETER TOOK HIM ASIDE AN BEGAN TO REBUKE HIM, SAYING "GOD FORBID IT LORD!  THIS MUST NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU."  BUT HE TURNED AND SAID TO PETER , "GET BEHIND ME SATAN! YOU ARE A STUMBLING BLOCK TO  ME; FOR YOU ARE SETTING YOUR MIND NOT ON DIVINE THINGS BUT ON HUMAN THINGS. JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES, " IF ANY WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS, LET THEM DENY THEMSELVES AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES WILL LOSE IT,  AND THOSE WHO LOSE THEIR LIFE FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT. JUDAS ISCARIOT, BEING OF THE NUMBER TWELVE. THERE  ARE MANY NAMES AND DISGUISES, THAT SATAN USES AS HE ROAM'S THE EARTH. THERE ARE MANY EVIL SPIRITS UNDER HIS CONTROL WHO POSSES MEN (MATT. 7:22).
 AND ANIMALS. EVERY ONE WHO COMES TO SERVE THE LORD MUST PREPARE FOR THREE KINDS OF TEMPTATION. THEY DO NOT COME AT THE SAME TIME, OR SELDOM IN THE SAME ORDER. IF YOUR CALL TO SERVE HIS OR HER GENERATION AS A CHRISTIAN, MUST HAVE IN VARIOUS DEGREES AND MANNERS ALL THREE- THE TEMPTATION OF THE BODY. WHICH IS THE SENSUAL PERSON'S TEMPTATION, THE TEMPTATION OF THE WILL. WHICH IS THE AMBITIOUS PERSON'S AND THE TEMPTATION TO MERE RELIGIOSITY. ONLY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE CAN HAVE THE THIRD TEMPTATION, BUT THEY DON'T ESCAPE ON THAT ACCOUNT. EVERY CHRISTIAN MUST PREPARE HIMSELF BY THE WORD OF GOD., BY THE ARMOR OF GOD, BY THE STRENGTH OF GOD. THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE LORD ARE THE TEMPTATIONS OF HIS CHURCH. THE CHURCH AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD MUST BE COMMITTED TO "THE FOOD THAT ABIDES."  IT BETTER BE THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. THE CHURCH MUST PRAY " NOT MY WILL BUT THY WILL BE DONE."
ACTUALLY IT IS NOT THE TEMPTATION THAT COME TO YOU IN YOUR DAILY VOCATION. JESUS HAS RESISTANCE AND POWER THAT WE ARE TO PLUG INTO THE GRACE OF FORGIVENESS. JESUS GRACE NOT TEMPTATION  STRENGTHENS. OUR FAITH THROUGH THE GOSPEL IN WORD AND SACRAMENTS. WHEN WE RECALL THAT GOD DID NOT SPARE HIS SON FROM TEMPTATION BUT SENT THE ANGELS TO MINISTER TO HIM IN THE TEMPTATION, WE CAN REALIZE THAT WE CAN KNOW THE WONDER OF GOD'S LOVE EVEN IN HARDSHIP AND SUFFERING. THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST MEANS THAT WE CAN KNOW GOD'S LOVE IN THE WHOLE OF OUR LIVES. AT THE END OF THE  SEASON OF LENT THERE IS A GLORIOUS MESSAGE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST FROM THE DEAD; THAT WE MAY HANG ON TO THE FINAL VICTORY. AMEN1