The simple path

We live in a complicated world, which can be navigated safely and morally only with careful thought and prudence.

In this complicated world, temptation often tries to twist careful thought into specious rationalization, leading us by a reasonable-seeming path to immorality and spiritual destruction.
In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:1-13), our Lord is tempted by the reasonable-sounding, Scripture-quoting devil. Our Lord navigates effortlessly past these temptations, remaining clear about the truth and focused on God’s will.

During the season of Lent, we try to renew our spiritual lives and free ourselves of the complex entanglements of sin and temptation into which we may have let ourselves slip.

Today’s readings invite us to return to the simple path of truth and God’s will, so that we too may resist temptation and remain faithful by the grace of God.

The first two readings are classic expressions of this simple path. The first reading (Deuteronomy 26:4-10) expresses the basic facts of God’s chosen people: what God has done and what they must do.

‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’

The second reading (Romans 10:8-13) expresses the basic facts of Christian redemption.

For, if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.

May we not be led astray by sophisticated temptations
but may we always remain focused on God’s will
and the simple path of righteousness