Mark 1:9-13
And it came to pass in those days that
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,
and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And straightway coming up out of the water,
He saw the heavens opened,
and the Spirit like a dove
descending upon Him.
And there came a voice from Heaven,
saying, “Thou Art My Beloved Son,
In Whom I Am Well Pleased.”
And immediately the Spirit
drove Him into the wilderness.
And He was there in the wilderness forty days,
tempted by Satan,
and was with the wild beasts;
and the angels ministered unto Him.
The Devil actually tempted the Second Person of the Triune Godhead!
Imagine the grandiose narcissism, the utter gall that would prompt a creature — a created being — to tempt the Creator Himself.
That is why it is my belief that Narcissism is the First Sin — of the fallen angel named Lucifer, and of Adam and Eve, our first parents. That is also why narcissists are of the devil because their self-worship violates the First Commandment:
I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
Today is the first Sunday of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter, excluding Sundays.
Sundays are excluded from our observance of Lent because Sunday is the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, wherein it is inappropriate to fast and mourn as we must celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, our salvation. That is also the reason why Christians worship on Sunday, instead of Judaism’s Saturday Sabbath.
Lent is 40 days long pursuant to previous traditions set forth in the Holy Scriptures:
- Moses remained on the Montain of God for 40 days (Exodus 24:18 and 34:28).
- The prophet Elijah traveled 40 days before he reached the cave where he had his visions (1 Kings 19:8).
- Nineveh was provided with 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4).
- Most importantly, Our Lord Jesus, before going forth in His public ministry, spent 40 days in the wilderness praying and fasting (Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:2).
The season of Lent actually began last Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, when Christians receive ashes on our foreheads as a reminder of our mortality: “Dust thou art, and to dust thou shall return.”
Since Jesus prepared himself for his public ministry during these 40 days, Christians imitate Him with prayer and fasting during this time to prepare for Holy Week. In remembrance of how Christ our Lord was tortured, suffered, and died for our sins, we are also asked to make a sacrifice during Lent by surrendering something that gives us pleasure, e.g., eating chocolates, and/or by doing something good that we don’t ordinarily do, e.g., doing a chore for an elderly neighbor.
For Lent, I’m giving up going to Savers, which is like one gigantic yard sale. What are you giving up for Lent?
May the Peace and Love of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you!
~Éowyn