We have all had our share of challenging experiences in life, experiences of being taken beyond the point we thought was our ability to cope. In such moments, those things or circumstances or people we thought we needed are not there and we stand alone. We come to know who we are at our core. We are living from our essence.
The fundamental temptation in life is to forget that our essence is the essence of all creation. We are made in the image and likeness of a life-giving Creation. Our life-giving divine nature is pondered in today’s first reading in the Genesis creation story. Jesus gives witness to the truth of it in his desert sojourn and temptation story. The fundamental temptation set before Jesus, and every disciple, harkens back to the Genesis creation story. The temptation is to be “like gods – not God, but gods.” As false gods we forget our essentially divine essence. We forget we are created in communion with God. We seek other identities, superior ones that have us use people and resources for our personal needs, forgetting all that is comes forth as gifts from Creation to be shared with everyone (turn these stones into bread). We are tempted to think the world revolves around us and our needs and everyone and everything is at our disposal (throw yourself from the mountaintop and the angels will rescue you). We seek glory in the kingdoms of this world for which we are willing to fight, forgetting we are called into service for our brothers and sisters (worship me and I will give you the kingdoms of this world). These behaviors are the behaviors of false gods, rulers. They are the behaviors with which Jesus was tempted in the desert. He was able to dismiss them all because he knew his Divine Essence. We are able to dismiss them all as well when we live from our essentially Divine nature.
What if our movement into the desert, away from the many things we rely on, is a movement toward the depth of our Divine essence?
Prayer: Essence, I live in communion with you.
Question: The Spirit led Jesus into the desert. How can I let the Spirit guide me these coming 40 days?
March 9, 2014 Gospel Matthew 4:1-11 First Sunday of Lent