VOICE OF THE LOGOS (18): REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

Is the Devil Offering You a Shortcut?

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90(91):1-2,10-15
Second Reading: Romans 10:8-13
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
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What if the greatest temptations in life weren’t an invitation to blatant sins but subtle shortcuts? What if the devil’s most dangerous offer wasn’t an obvious evil but a more convenient alternative to God’s plan? The world today is built on shortcuts – quick wealth schemes, backdoor promotions, easy pleasures, compromised faith. Society rewards those who find the fastest way to success, regardless of the cost. People cheat to get ahead, leaders manipulate power for control, churches water down doctrine to remain popular. But the question is: At what price? In relationships, many trade the hard work of commitment for temporary pleasure – leading to broken homes, lost trust, and regret. In careers, some compromise integrity for faster promotions, selling their souls for status. Even in faith, many expect instant blessings without sacrifice, treating God like a vending machine rather than a sovereign Lord. These aren’t just human weaknesses; they are temptations manipulated by the devil himself, luring people into a counterfeit version of God’s will – a will that promises success without suffering, faith without endurance, glory without the cross. The First Sunday of Lent forces us to confront this uncomfortable reality. The readings today expose how the devil has always worked, deceiving people with the illusion of control, the false promise of security, and the lie of immediate gratification.

Beginning with the First Reading (Deuteronomy 26:4-10), we are reminded of the long road to salvation. Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for centuries, crying out to God for deliverance. When God finally acts, He does so “with a mighty hand” (יָד חֲזָקָה, yād ḥăzāqâ): a phrase used to describe God’s powerful and often painful intervention in history. The “sitz im leben” (life setting) of this text is Israel standing on the threshold of the Promised Land, looking back at how God did not take shortcuts in saving them. He led them through plagues, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, through trials, shaping them into a people of faith. The Hebrew word “ḥăzāqâ” (חֲזָקָה, mighty/strong) signifies not just power, but a forceful grip – one that refuses to let go, even when the path is difficult. This contrasts sharply with the temptation to abandon the process, to look for a faster route to victory. But God’s hand is not a hand of shortcuts; it is a hand of formation, discipline, and ultimate redemption.

In consonance, the Responsorial Psalm (Ps. 91), which promises divine protection, is the very scripture Satan later manipulates to tempt Jesus. The psalmist declares that God will command His angels to protect the faithful, and yet Jesus refuses to misuse this promise to force a miracle. The Hebrew word “sākak” (סָכַךְ, cover/protect) in Psalm 91:4 conveys God’s shielding presence, but not as a tool to be tested. The Israelites, in their journey, often tested God, expecting immediate relief from hunger, thirst, or danger, rather than trusting in His timing. Here is where shortcuts come in: expecting God’s help on our own terms, rather than surrendering to His process. The devil offers Jesus an opportunity to prove God’s promises right now—but true faith waits, even when protection seems distant.

When we arrive at the Gospel (Luke 4:1-13), we find Jesus at His weakest – forty days without food, isolated, vulnerable. The “sitz im leben” of this moment is the desert, a place of testing, purification, and decision-making. The devil’s first temptation is seemingly harmless: turn stones into bread. What’s wrong with satisfying hunger? The shortcut here is taking control instead of trusting God to provide in His time.

The second temptation, however, is more insidious. The devil shows Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world” (πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς οἰκουμένης, pasai hai basileiai tēs oikoumenēs): the term “oikoumenē” (οἰκουμένη) was commonly used to describe the inhabited world under the Roman Empire. This was no generic offer of power, it was the Roman Empire itself, the dominant force of the time – the world power. The devil essentially says: “You want to rule? I can give you the Roman Empire: no suffering, no cross. Just bow once, and it’s yours.” This was a direct challenge to the mission of the Messiah. The Jews expected the Messiah to overthrow the Roman Empire, to take political power. Satan offers Jesus a crown without the crucifixion, a kingdom without sacrifice, immediate authority without the suffering of the cross. This is the ultimate shortcut theology, where Christianity is reduced to power, prosperity, and influence rather than sacrifice, love, and endurance. Jesus, however, refuses. He chooses the way of the cross over the easy route to dominion. In contrast, how many today accept Satan’s shortcut? How many sell their souls to the devil for the shortcuts of fame, wealth, influence, power, etc? How many Christian leaders have compromised truth for influence? How many believers seek political or financial power rather than the kingdom of God?

After the devil fails to lure Jesus with physical satisfaction (turning stones into bread) and worldly power (offering Him the Roman Empire without the Cross), he moves to the final and most deceptive temptation: “Then he took him to Jerusalem, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you, and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” (Luke 4:9-11, quoting Psalm 91:11-12). At first glance, this might seem like a test of faith – proving that God is trustworthy. But in reality, it is the ultimate shortcut to recognition and glory. In the “Sitz im Leben” (life setting) of first-century Judaism, the Temple in Jerusalem was the centre of religious identity and Messianic expectation. According to Jewish traditions, some expected the Messiah to miraculously appear at the Temple, possibly descending from heaven to prove His divine mission. The devil is weaponizing this expectation by proposing that Jesus dramatically throw Himself down so that angels would catch Him in front of the people – a spectacular sign to instantly gain recognition. If Jesus had jumped and survived, the crowds would have immediately hailed Him as the Messiah. No suffering, no rejection, no crucifixion – just instant recognition and glory.

But here’s the deception: Satan is using Scripture to tempt Jesus. He quotes Psalm 91, which speaks of God’s protection, implying that Jesus should force God’s hand to act. But Jesus sees through this. True faith does not test God. It trusts Him. He answers: “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Luke 4:12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16). This is where the third temptation fully connects to the theme of “shortcuts.” The devil wants Jesus to skip the path of suffering and rejection and take an easier route – one where faith is proven by spectacle rather than obedience. But Jesus refuses to seek cheap validation or manipulate God for His own advantage.

In addition, St. Paul’s words in Romans 10:8-13 expose another dimension of this temptation. He reminds us that salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord, not just as a title, but as a way of life. The Greek word “kyrios” (Κύριος, Lord) was used for Roman emperors – it signified supreme authority. To say Jesus is Lord was to reject Caesar as Lord – to reject political power as the ultimate saviour. This is the same choice Jesus made in the desert. He refused the empire as a shortcut and chose the cross. But are we willing to do the same?

Beloved friends in Christ, the greatest temptations today are not blatant sins but counterfeit versions of God’s promises. The devil still offers shortcuts: quick success in exchange for compromise, faith without suffering, blessings without obedience. This is seen in prosperity gospel teachings, in moral relativism, in Christians who pursue influence over integrity. Like Jesus, we must ask: Do I want the kingdom now, or do I trust God’s timing? Am I choosing comfort over calling? Am I taking the easy way out?

Lent is a time to examine our own shortcuts. Do we demand instant results in prayer? Do we compromise our values for financial gain? Do we seek approval over truth? Jesus’ response is our model: No to shortcuts! Yes to the cross. For in the end, the true kingdom is not won through bargains with the devil, but through faithfulness, suffering, and trust in God’s mighty hand.

O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)

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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com

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