1st Sunday of Lent, Year A: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima
Theme: Learning from Jesus’ Temptations
Readings: Gen 2:7–9; 3:1–7; Ps 50; Rom 5:12–19; Mt
4:1–11
Dear brothers and
sisters in Christ, Lent is a season of deep spiritual preparation—a time to
confront our temptations and sinful habits through prayer, fasting, penance,
and almsgiving. On this first Sunday of Lent, the Church gives us two stories
of temptation: the fall of Adam and Eve in the first reading, and the
temptation of Jesus in the Gospel. Through them, we learn how the devil works
and how we can defeat him.
1. The message of
the first reading: the devil steals what is superior and replaces it with what
is inferior
Our catechism teaches
that God created man and woman in His own image and likeness. Adam and Eve
shared in God’s innocence. Their nakedness in Eden symbolized this innocence—they
were unashamed, like innocent children.
Some ancient
narratives often reflected on how the devil envied this innocence. They said
that the serpent stole this divine likeness from humanity and replaced it with
his own. Before the temptation, Adam and Eve were “naked”—clothed in innocence.
After the temptation, they covered themselves with leaves. Clothing, which can
be put on and taken off, mirrors the serpent’s shedding of its skin. Humanity
exchanged something permanent and divine for something fragile and temporary.
The first reading carries a profound
message for us. Our catechism teaches that God created man and woman in His own
image and likeness. Adam and Eve shared in God’s nature, especially His
innocence. This innocence was evident in the fact that they were naked in the
Garden of Eden yet felt no shame; they were as pure as little children. Some
ancient stories recount how the devil envied this innocence and that it was
precisely this innocence—their resemblance to God—that the devil stole from
them, replacing it with his own likeness.
Before the temptation, Adam and Eve were
naked, clothed in innocence. After the temptation, they sewed fig leaves
together to cover themselves. Clothing is something we put on and take off when
it becomes worn or dirty, just as the serpent—used in Scripture as an image of
the devil—sheds its skin and replaces it with a new one. Thus, after the fall,
humanity no longer bore God’s unchanging innocence but instead took on a nature
that could be altered and corrupted. These ancient reflections suggest that the
serpent, having stolen humanity’s innocence, gained a kind of longevity, almost
like a creature enjoying a shadow of immortality. In this way, the devil stole
humanity’s superior gift and replaced it with his own inferior likeness.
The salient message of
these ancient narratives of the fall of Adam and Eve is that the devil takes
away God’s superior gifts and replaces them with his inferior ones.
2. The devil still
uses the same strategy today
You may have noticed
that temptations often increase right after confession. When we reclaim our
innocence, the devil immediately tries to steal it back. He uses lies,
half-truths, and attractive packaging to make inferior things look superior.
That is exactly what
he did to Eve. He lied that she would become immortal. He lied that God had
deceived them. He sowed doubt in her heart. The devil is the father of lies. He
always tries to make us doubt God’s word.
In the Gospel, he also
approached Jesus with lies and doubts—claiming ownership of all kingdoms and
trying to make Jesus question His identity and the Father’s protection.
3. Temptation
always tries to make us abandon the superior for the inferior
Every day of our lives
brings experiences and challenges of this kind. We face the temptation to
abandon what is superior simply because it is difficult and to settle instead
for what is inferior because it is easy, without considering its lack of
durability. We face the temptation to give up a holy life because it demands
sacrifice and to embrace a sinful life because it appears sweet and effortless.
We face pressures to say yes to immoral demands because they promise quick
access to money. Whenever we yield to such evil suggestions, we lose our
innocence and take on the resemblance of the devil.
Therefore, let us use
the truth of God’s word to examine every suggestion that comes to us, just as
Christ did when He was tempted. Let us open our Bible and read it meditatively
during this Lent; it will equip us with answers to the lies of the devil.
4. The devil
attacks us especially when we begin something good
Dear friends, the
devil is never happy when we take up a mission that leads to our good or the
good of others. He works assiduously to ensure that we do not succeed in our
good projects. He is a destroyer and does not want us to accomplish anything
that brings life or blessing. Therefore, he often tries to intercept or
interrupt the good plans and projects in our lives. When he saw Jesus preparing
for His mission of saving humanity, he was not pleased. When he saw Adam and
Eve enjoying the sweet company of God, he was not pleased.
We must remember that
whenever we have good plans, the devil will rush in with his own plans. His
goal is to push us away from our path and make us adopt his path—one that will
certainly lead us into trouble. The Greek and Hebrew words for sin, hamartia
and chatta’ah, mean “missing the mark.” In every temptation, the devil
invites us to abandon our mark—our direction toward fulfilling God’s plans—and
to take up his mark instead.
For this reason, the
Church urges us to remain vigilant, so that the devil does not destroy our good
intentions or the good we hope to bring into the lives of others. Learning from
the temptation of Jesus helps us conquer the devil. Jesus remained faithful to
His mission and refused the devil’s alternative mission of self‑satisfaction,
shortcuts to success, cheap popularity, and compromise of faith, as shown in
the three temptations.
We too must be deeply
rooted in the knowledge of God’s word. Only then can we remain firm in what God
requires of us as we pursue our goals. Without this grounding, the devil will
easily confuse us with his sweet‑sounding suggestions.
5. The devil tempts
us with what we actually need
The devil is clever.
He does not tempt us with things we do not desire. He studies our needs and
weaknesses and provides a sinful solution.
Let us look at the
temptations of Jesus. After spending forty days in the desert fasting and
praying, Jesus was hungry. The devil knew this and approached Him with the
suggestion of satisfying that hunger through an easy but disobedient means. He
told Him to turn stones into bread.
In the same way, the
devil knows our needs. If we are hungry, he tempts us with food. If we are
thirsty, he tempts us with drink. If we desire power, he tempts us with
opportunities to gain it. If we need money, he tempts us to steal. If we need a
job, he tempts us to offer bribes. If we are desperate for success in exams, he
tempts us to cheat. If we struggle with lust, he surrounds us with countless
immoral opportunities.
Every one of us is
tempted to seek sinful pleasures, easy wealth, or positions of authority,
power, and glory—and to use any means, even unjust or sinful ones, to obtain
them. Dear friends, whenever you are in need, be cautious about the suggestions
that arise in your mind. Many of them may urge you to use sinful means to get
what you want. Such suggestions come from the devil.
6. The devil is
persistent
Dear friends, the devil is never tired.
When Jesus defeated him in the first temptation, the devil immediately moved on
to the second, and then to the third. He never gives up. So, whenever you say
no to the devil, do not assume he will leave you. He will return through
another means, often with an even stronger temptation. When a person falls to
one temptation, the devil quickly brings the next, continuing until the person
is completely ruined. Therefore, you must remain vigilant in your Christian
life.
7. The devil now
comes in attractive forms
The devil no longer
comes to us with dark, frightening faces or with horns of any size, as often
depicted in pictures and movies. Today, he approaches us with attractive faces
and pleasant smiles. He reaches us through friends and colleagues. He speaks
through the wrong suggestions and misguided advice we receive from those around
us.
Therefore, during this
Lent, let us arm ourselves with fervent prayer, constant reading of the Word of
God, fasting, penance, and faithful participation in Mass. These spiritual
weapons will help us recognize the devil’s temptations and give us the strength
to defeat him.
8. Christ has
restored what Adam lost
St Paul reminds us in
the second reading that Jesus has conquered the devil and restored the
innocence humanity lost through Adam and Eve.
Let us not surrender
that gift again.
Peace be with you.
Fr. Isaac
Chinemerem Chima
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