He was alone in the desert. No one would see him. No one would witness his giving in to the devil. He had plenty of excuses available. He was hungry. He had been fasting for forty days. Why shouldn’t he do something drastic to get something to eat? He felt within him the call to lead his people from oppression. With one meaningless action he could become powerful. Wouldn’t any price be worth it if he could lead the people against Rome and establish Israel as the greatest empire in the world? He knew he was special, chosen. What could be so bad about grasping at power when it was offered to him? Then there was that third temptation. Isn’t it reasonable that he should demand a sign from the Father? The Father was certainly demanding a great deal from him.
There were plenty of excuses Jesus could have made if he had given in to the devil’s temptation. But there was something that would be demanded of him. He would have to sacrifice his integrity. He would have to sacrifice that spiritual part of him that said, “Trust in God,” for the sake of the physical part of him that said, “Seize the moment.”
In the wilderness, where no one could observe, Jesus chose not self but service of God. He will be the Servant who walks in darkness yet trusts in the name of the Lord. Later on, Jesus will leap from another high place. At the end of the gospel Jesus will leap into the hands of the Father as he cries out in the words of Psalm 30: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
The devil left Jesus – for a time. He would return when Jesus was severely weakened at Gethsemane, the agony in the garden. But Jesus integrity would still be intact.
A human being is capable of compromising his or her integrity. When we sin, when I sin, when you sin, we plunge into turmoil. We might make believe that there is nothing wrong with us. We are all experts at rationalizing our actions, but we are torn up within ourselves. When we sin, we are in turmoil. When we fight off temptation we are in peace.
This weekend’s Gospel demands that I take the blinders off my heart to see where I am in turmoil. The reading demands that I listen to the Word of God within me calling me to be the person the Lord has given me the capacity to be. We are offered peace over turmoil. Where is your turmoil? Where do you lack integrity? Is it in your relationship with your family and friends? Are hatred and grudges destroying you? Is your lifestyle wholesome? Are you rationalizing your way through immorality? When pleasure, possessions, or power become the goals of our lives, we sacrifice our integrity to the god of materialism.
Am I in peace or am I in turmoil? If I am honest enough with myself then I have to admit that over the last year certain things have crept into my life without my hardly noticing them. They might seem small, not worth noting, but they can wreak havoc within me, and bring chaos where there should be peace. Unless I am careful, my integrity can be compromised.
When we feel disjointed, torn up inside, just not happy with ourselves, then we need to be aware of something. The Lord does not want us hurting this way. He wants us to be whole, wholesome and at peace. He gives us his power and strength to preserve and integrate our body and soul. We proclaimed in the psalm response: “Be with me, Lord when I am in trouble.” He is with us. With him we can preserve or if needed restore our integrity. To make a good Lent, may we nurture our integrity.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!