Fr. Michael Williams

There was a man who arrived at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter told him that he had a unique opportunity to look around at Heaven and Hell, and then to decide where he wants to spend eternity. First of all the man goes to look around Heaven. He sees beautiful scenery, hears beautiful music, and sees lots of smiling peaceful people. He thinks to himself this looks pretty good. He then tells St Peter that he is ready to go and have a look around Hell. He arrives in Hell and is welcomed by the devil. The devil shows him many rooms where people are partying away and seeming to have a great time. He thinks ‘this is the way to spend eternity’ and so goes back to St Peter. He tells St Peter as lovely as Heaven is, Hell is one big party and that’s his choice for eternity. So he is transported to Hell, but when he gets there he is shocked to see flames all around and people in misery. ‘I don’t understand’, the man says to the devil, ‘when I was here before there was lots of partying and merriment. What’s happened?’ ‘Simple’, replies the devil. ‘Before I was on a sales pitch, but now you’re my client’.

In today’s gospel St Mark tells us that Jesus “was tempted by Satan”. St Mark does not reveal the nature of the temptations Jesus suffered. But St Luke and St Matthew in their gospels reveal the temptations Jesus endured. First of all the devil tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread; but Jesus replies: “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. Next the devil tempts Jesus to throw himself off a high parapet to see if God’s angels will rescue Him; but Jesus replies: “Scripture says: do not put the Lord your God to the test”. Next the devil told Jesus he would give Him the kingdoms of the world if He worshipped him; but Jesus replies: “The Lord your God is the One to whom you must do homage, Him alone you must serve”.

Satan’s temptations seek to draw us away from God, and from God’s ways. If Satan tried to tempt the Son of God away from doing the Father’s will then he will seek to draw us away from the Father’s will also. The reason he wants to draw us away from God is because he wants to separate us from God for eternity, just as he will be separate from God eternally.

However, if we are united to Christ we will be victorious because Christ has vanquished the Tempter for us. Christ “was tempted in every way, but did not sin”, and so he can sympathise with us. Christ has been through the struggle, but proved victorious. If we are to prove victorious we need God to help us. St Irenaeus said in the second century: “God stands in no need of anyone else. But we stand completely in need of God”. We can’t save ourselves only Christ who “died for the guilty [can] lead us to God”.

The final victory of Christ’s comes with “the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered Heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that He has made the angels of Dominations and Powers His subjects”. The Resurrection reminds us that Jesus has overcome death and the devil. Christ’s invitation to us this Lent is to enter more deeply into His victory, which involves a struggle, but will ultimately lead to the Resurrection life of eternity.