We entered the Church’s season of Lent on 5th March which was Ash Wednesday. Lent lasts for 40 days and ends in Holy Week when we focus on the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, and then celebrate his wonderful rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.
On the first Sunday in Lent we heard the Gospel account from St Luke’s Gospel of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by the Devil. It is understandable that Jesus suffered temptations whilst he was out in the desert, but I do think he also took himself away from all the distractions and demands of normal life in order to prepare himself for his coming public ministry.
Firstly, we are all tempted by things that are not good for us, or that harm other people or that take us further away from God and disrupt or hurt our spiritual journey. This is the nature of the human condition that we are tempted to sin and often succumb to temptation- Or perhaps don’t even realise that it’s a bad thing we are being tempted by. But we can take inspiration from Jesus who faced his temptations in the wilderness (or we might say ‘faced his demons’) and with God’s grace we may be able to overcome these temptations as he did. However, no-one is perfect and we all stray from the ‘paths of righteousness’ at times, but we know that we will be forgiven by God if we realise what we’ve done and are genuinely sorry. And of course Lent is a penitential season, when we are encouraged to examine our lives and be self-reflective in order to come closer to God and be stronger in our spiritual lives.
Secondly this is a season of preparation, just as Jesus spent time in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry on earth. So we can join in the journey towards Calvary and the cross with Jesus, reflecting on what it cost him (his life) in order to bring us redemption through the love of God. Then Jesus was raised from the dead which we celebrate on Easter Sunday (and indeed every Sunday), that most incredible and wonderful moment in which the power of death is defeated and we are given the joy and hope of eternal life.
Thirdly, the account in the Gospels of Jesus’ being tempted by the Devil focuses on those temptations. However, there is another way of thinking about Jesus in the desert, away from all the normal distractions and everyday concerns of life. I think this was also a place not just for preparation and facing his demons, but also communing with his Father in heaven. This was perhaps a spiritual refuge, where Jesus could pray and be close to God, just as we too may be able to find a spiritual refuge or special place where we can pray, recharge our ‘spiritual batteries’ and feel especially close to God. I had such a place at the Franciscan Friary at Alnmouth before I moved to my current role in Ypres, where I was nurtured and strengthened by both the services & sacraments and also by the brothers there (as well as other visitors to the Friary). I am still a Franciscan Tertiary and supported by other Franciscans, including at Alnmouth Friary.
So, let us take the challenge of Lent seriously to examine ourselves, repent of what is not good in our lives and deepen our relationship with God, whilst we also prepare ourselves for commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reverend Richard Clement
