First Sunday of Lent

February 17th, 2002 - Upavon 8.a.m.

Jesus was tempted. His greatest desire at the beginning of his ministry was that people should listen to his Gospel and follow him. How could he persuade them ?

1. He could bribe them. He could turn stones into bread and offer them free food. That would have made him popular in a land where many went hungry.
2. He could given them entertainment. He could perform a spectacular miracle by jumping off a tower and landing unharmed. In a land where life for many was pretty dull they would have come out to marvel.
3. He could have used his divine power to compel them, threatening divine punishment if they ignored or refused him.

Jesus resisted these temptations. His mission was not to make himself popular. It was not to compel obedience.

It was to show people the love of God, the compassion of God, the concern of God the Father for the lives of his children - to show them a more excellent way of life, leading on to the perfection of life to come.