"Jesus
said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and
serve him only.’’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended
him."
As a chaplain at Wesley Medical Center, I have observed my share of
tragedies. Few of them, however, outweigh the pain experienced by seeing many young men
come through our Trauma Center, ending up in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. The
situation usually involves a motor vehicle accident resulting from the influence of
alcohol, speed limit abuses, or motorcycle incidents where riders fail to wear their
helmets. Sadly, these men didn't take seriously the reality of their human frailty. As a
result, I often hear the sighs of the nursing staff as they withdraw into their own grief,
seeing yet another young person lost or maimed.
One of the greatest means of deception by the Evil One is to make us
believe that we are invincible; that somehow we have ultimate control over our lives. The
world tells us to "believe in yourself" when in reality God is the only one we
can truly rely on. God's wisdom reminds us that we are powerless - that our lives are
unmanageable without him. Only after our confession of this truth can we be empowered with
understanding and wisdom.
The life of Christ is evidence of this paradox. The fact that Jesus
humbled himself, taking the form of a servant, does not reflect what the world thought a
Messiah ought to be. And, the notion that the Son of God would be put to death – crucified
- to atone for the sins of humanity was unfathomable to the people of that day. Remember
the words of the chief priests as they exclaimed, "He saved others but he cannot save
himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will
believe in him!" Jesus didn't live up to the expectations of those around him and his
death was the result.
The world is blind to God's truth. It can only be revealed through
faith. It is my hope that your faith will abound this Lenten season as you search out
God's wisdom and reflect on Christ's sacrifice made on your behalf. May you claim the
power of the Resurrection as you live out God's truth in your daily lives!
