The First Sunday in Lent.
The Collect.
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LORD who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
And due to the rubric, the Collect for the Day is followed by the Collect for Ash Wednesday, which is found on Page 124:
The first day of Lent, commonly called
Ash Wednesday.
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day, until Palm Sunday.
The Holy Gospel
Matt 4:1-11
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HEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said,
This is the first Sunday in Lent. What do we mean by Lent?
Lent derives from the Olde English word for spring -- this is unique to English. In almost all other languages its name is a derivative of the Latin term Quadragesima, or the forty days. Before Lent begins, many towns and cities around the world celebrate Shrovetide, or Carnival time, a period of three or more days during which parades and other functions are organized to allow free rein to worldly pleasures, including much drinking and naughtiness, before the prolonged period of fasting, penance and good works. The best known are perhaps those in Rio and the French Quarter of New Orleans.
The custom of celebrating St Patrick’s Day is to commemorate the beginning of Lent on Shrovetide. Interestingly, St Patrick was a teetotaler.
How did we come to use Easter Eggs as a symbol for Easter?
Lent is a period of forty days preceding the Crucifixion. The death of Christ occurred on 14th Nissan, precisely at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), which was the very moment at which the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the Temple at Jerusalem. The Passover Lamb was killed, as was Christ – the True Passover Lamb, on the evening preceding the Passover.
An egg is a symbol in the Passover of Spring which begins 15 Nissan.
Since Christ began His ministry by being led into the Wilderness for forty days and nights, so does the church practice fasting during this period.
No meats, or animal products are to be consumed during this period since such foods come from a living creature which must eventually die to feed us.
So eggs milk, meat and cheese are not customarily consumed by those who are fasting. Now milk and meats cannot be preserved for the forty day period, but eggs could be. So the people saved their eggs during fast, and had a great abundance of them at Easter. Therefore, the egg was a significant food recognized at Easter when the fast was terminated. At first, they were colored blood red, but now take on a variety of colors.
Now to the text:
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Most great undertakings by Christians should be preceded by prayer and fasting and, thus, our Lord gives us an example at the beginning of His own vital ministry.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Cor 15:45)
You may recall that the First Man, Adam, fell, by temptation from,
· Garden to a wilderness
· Abundance to want
· Empire to slavery
· Heaven to hell
aWhen by the same steps as he descended, our Lord ascended,—the first and second Adam were also types and antetypes; each was a representative man; each was the head of a body; each represented multitudes; each drew with him a vast membership. And as in the one many sank, so in the other many rose. We see, then, a beautiful imagery, or reason, why Christ's temptation should be just what it was, and that it should lie at the commencement of His work on earth. It was to teach us that, as a victorious tempter closed the gates of Paradise, so that tempter, conquered, should be the very reason for those gates unclosing through the works of Christ.
“We must always remember that our Saviour's temptation took place immediately after His baptism. So it lay at the foundation of His ministry. First the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and then the assaultings of the evil one. First an unction of grace, and then an unction of discipline. And both essential preparations for after-work.” Quote of J. Vaughan
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
First in Christ ministry came the power of the Holy Spirit upon His baptism. When Heaven’s gates appear near for the new Christian, Satan attacks with many temptations.
We first experience Grace, but then a hard discipline.
It would be wrong to assume that we can escape temptation by fleeing to a lonely place.
The greatest temptation in the life of Christ occurred at the moment of His greatest approbation by God.
Satan knows our every weakness. He watches us every second and knows what thing we will fall victim to. It may be gambling, it may be greed, it may be sex, it may be drugs, but Satan knows and exploits those sinful inclinations.
He doesn’t care what we do as long as we remain in our sins, but the moment we appeal to the blood of Christ, Satan desperately strikes out at us.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Please note Christ always answers temptation with His Scripture.
“It is written!” What does the Bible say about your temptations? What is written therein?
Christ is starving in his fasting. The thought of Bread seems so inviting, and Christ could turn the stones to bread just in the same way he turned water into wine, but, no, not for the evil satisfaction of Satan!
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Please realize that Satan is a great Deceiver. Placing Christ at the peak of the highest point of the Temple, he asked Him to prove His divinity by a showy and prideful miracle. But what does Jesus say?
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Now young people, how does this apply to you in your daily lives?
Have you ever tempted God in prayer? “Lord, if you will please give me what I am asking for, I will be an obedient child.” Does obedience result from what we are paid, or how much we love? Satan is persistent and never gives up:
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Satan promises that which he can never deliver. All the kingdoms of the world have been delivered unto the Son of God.
Satan desires worship and total obedience to himself. He can give nothing in return, but take your life and your soul through drugs and sexual diseases.
Please remember that, regardless of Satan’s phony power and lies, Christ will always have the last Word:
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Do you serve Satan unwittingly? Wake up. Hear the Voice that loves you and not the voice that seeks your eternal doom!
Often, when tempted, I have used these very words of Christ to keep me from sin. And it WORKS! God is so very proud and pleased with us when we are able to confront Satan in the Power of His Word!
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
The result will always be peace and comfort…..AMEN!
