The Loyalty Test Eo, my three-year-old nephew has only one idol – his grandma, my mom, who we both call “Mommy.” If you say: “Eo, who do you love most?” the boy shouts back: “Mommy!” My mom is proud of Eo’s loyalty to her. But recently, my mom was hospitalized for over a week and Eo was placed in the care of my mom’s younger sister, “Lola (grandma) Etta.” When my mom called Eo through her cell phone, she made a loyalty check: “Eo, who do you love most?” And Eo, confident and sincere, shout back: “Lola Etta!” My mother demanded that we take her home immediately. As we enter the first week of Lent, we picture Jesus in a real awkward situation. Jesus is being tempted, like the rest of us humans. We think we know the whole story. But what really is the significance of this episode in the life of the Lord? The word “temptation” has a very interesting meaning. It means “a loyalty test.” A temptation is a test to see if we will be loyal to God, if we will be loyal to our commitment to truth, justice, and love. In both the Old and New Testaments, it was Satan’s role to tempt or test people. People who pass the test form an army for God. People who fail the test fall in line behind Satan. In the temptations of Jesus, the Lord clearly proclaimed His resolute decision to love and honor his Father and to offer himself for the service of his brothers and sisters. He triumphed over the evil one. He did not prioritize the offer of bread, sacrificing his own needs for the sake of others. He did not desire fame but desired humble service. He did not want to serve any other power except that of the heavenly Father. It is good to remember that in every temptation, we are tested regarding our loyalty. Will you be loyal to your wife or to that young attractive woman in the office? Will you be committed to your integrity or to the power of money? Will you be devoted to your caring parents or to the corrupting influence of your friends? Will you waste your future for the fleeting pleasures of laziness and negligence? Will you continue to honor God on your own stubborn will? Every day, we find ourselves in a personal battle to test our loyalty to God and to the people who truly matter to us. Some of us play with the temptations, thinking that we can outwit the devil. But the devil was a former angel and he is still smart. He knows how to attack and when to attack. That is why many people find themselves yielding to the temptations around them. How do we triumph like Jesus? The Gospel says that Jesus had one essential key to success over temptation – sacrifice. He knew how to pray always. He knew how to fast, to say no to pleasures, to delay gratification for Himself. Jesus was serious about following the will of His Father. As we battle temptations, in our daily life, let us look to Jesus. Aware that we are being tested let us ask for the grace of a sacrificial heart. Let us fast and pray for success in our struggles. May Lent bring us to pass the test. (Fr. Ramil Marcos / I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU – reflection to Matthew 4:1-11)
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 07:54:04 +0000
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