Deliver Us from Evil, Lord!

Homily: First Sunday of Lent (B)

Mark 1:12-15

18 February 2024

Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez

One time a little boy sadly told me, “Ang hirap maging mabait, Father.” (It’s hard to be good, Father.) Nananahimik ka minsan pero may mga makukulit ka talagang kaklase na magsisimula ng gulo. (Sometimes you are trying to mind your own business and then a nasty classmate starts the trouble.) Gustong-gusto ko makakuha ng mataas na grades pero napapasarap din ako maglaro ng ML. (I really want to get good marks in school but I also enjoy playing ML.) Alam ko na dapat tumulong ako sa gawaing bahay pero tinatamad ako minsan at gusto ko lang matulog.” (I know I should help with the house chores but I’m lazy sometimes and I just want to sleep.) I can just imagine his mother scolding him for all these transgressions. I am quite certain that if I were his age, I would have similar issues and [in our own time] marks from a vigorous spanking. This little boy’s dilemma actually mirrors our own struggles to resist the presence and attraction of evil in our respective lives.  

In the Gospel, we hear the familiar drama of Jesus being tempted by Satan. Although the temptation account in the Gospel of Mark is quite brief compared to the accounts of Luke and Matthew, it still takes into account this defining moment in the life of Jesus where He experiences spiritual conflict — that all too human struggle between right and wrong, between fidelity and disobedience in our relationship with God. The temptation experience was not a simple one-time invitation that Jesus easily turned down, considering He is God.  It lasted for forty days!  We have to remember that Jesus was also fully human and the struggle to deny His earthly compulsions was real. We can imagine what that must have been like. If that were us, we may have only lasted five (5) minutes before giving in! ☺️

I once read that the temptation of Jesus continued throughout His earthly life and He had to overcome each one as they presented themselves. That is to say that the challenge to be faithful to the Father’s will was a continuing struggle even for Jesus Himself. It would occur again and again at various stages in His life, right up to and especially at those last hours in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross.  In His anguish in the Garden, Jesus cries out to the Father… “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36) 

The fact that Jesus does not fall prey to the lies of Satan is reason for us to rejoice. Fundamentally, it is further proof that Jesus is the real deal — the Messiah, the new Adam the leader of the new creation. The passage says Jesus was in the desert among wild beasts but there is no record that He is hurt by these animals. Bible scholar Brandon Crowe says it is a parallel drawn between Adam in the Garden of Eden who was given dominion over all the creatures. Both were tested and tempted by the devil but unlike Adam, Jesus does not fail the test. In Luke and Matthew, the specifics of Jesus’ temptation were identified as the temptation to power, domination and possessions. After the final temptation Jesus says to the devil, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” (Matthew 4:10) Then the devil left Him; and the angels ministered to Him. From this, we see that Jesus was sure of His identity. As the Son of God, He already had dominion over all, in possession of all and even the angels subjected themselves to Him. The devil had no right to offer what did not belong to him. Moreover, we see that Jesus placed the will of His Father above His own. He was not tempted to show off His power or to flaunt His divinity because what mattered was the mission that His Father gave Him. 

Similarly, the struggle to battle against evil for us never stops. We all struggle to say “YES” to God and to remain faithful followers of Jesus. It is so easy to give in to temptations such as when we choose our personal comfort and satisfy our whims while depriving another or when we turn a blind eye to injustices we can rectify or when we choose to be dishonest and greedy for personal gain at the expense of the common good. At each instance, we put ourselves first and diminish others. Temptation is a universal human experience; every person finds himself or herself being lured to turn his or her back on God. We have to contend with the many distractions that keep us from accomplishing the mission God has given us in life. However, Jesus proves that humanity is not doomed to weakness. He is proof that people have the power to resist the devil. 

Indeed, there is no shortcut to heaven. Holiness is not something that happens overnight. It comes after a long struggle with our failures and imperfections. All of us are moving towards maturity and self-actualisation. As long as we live, we cannot simply hang up our bows. The war is not over yet and we could never rest secure. The author of 1 Peter tells us that throughout life we are in the throes of a struggle between right and wrong, between fidelity and disobedience, and only the graciousness of God can deliver us. This is probably the reason why Lent is described in the context of a struggle, where we are invited to recognise that life is very much a spiritual campaign, wrought with battles, and warfare. It is by practicing self-restraint and the discipline of prayer that we can arm ourselves with effective weapons of defence. 

Let us make the most of this Lenten season — a truly sacred time — to nurture our spiritual growth and maturity and remain steadfast in faith despite any of life’s temptations. Like the little boy in my story at the beginning of this reflection, as we struggle to be good and pleasing to God, may we always pray… “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.”