It is every year during the first Sunday of Lent that we hear the familiar Gospel story of angels leading Jesus into desert to be tempted by Satan. What is interesting, is that the line immediately preceding this passage speaks of God’s love for his Son. It doesn’t seem like the way you would treat your son or daughter. So there must be a reason why the Gospel writer crafted this story of the three quintessential temptations of pride, privilege and power, to immediately follow the initiation of Jesus to his ministry. What point was Matthew trying to make and how does it relate to our Lenten journey?
Perhaps a true story of a dying college grad and his former college professor will shed light on all of this for us. Click and see what I mean…