Two Thoughts for Lenten Week One

The first thought has to do with temptation:
Christ goes to pray in a private place–the desert. In the Holy Land a desert is not like California’s death Valley. Yes, it is hot during the day and cold at night but not unbearably so. It is flat land and treeless or with low growing vegetation, more brown than green. A great place to relax and think peaceful thoughts, to look to what might be ahead and what one can do to be part of the future. I suggest “re treating” to a private place and spending some quality time alone or with a good and highly recommended spiritual reading book. I don’t know if what happened to Jesus will happen to you. Anyway, after these 40 days of private time, Jesus receives a visitor. None other than the devil. The evil one throws out a good line to this hungry person–good food, worship evil, be a daredevil and tempt someone to save you.
If Jesus can be tempted how about me? I certainly do not have all the protectors that he has. What I do notice is that after all the temptings and Christ’s refusal to follow them, the devil left him alone. but with plans to return at a later date!
The second thought:
EVIL–the word just adds a D to become devil..I never made that connection until my private thought time. So I decided to think about this evil person.
I do not think that he has a red suit, is terribly scary or ugly. If he were frightening we would not ever be tempted to follow his ideas rather than good ones. So he must seem pretty nice, speak with a beautiful voice and be easy to listen to and follow. Maybe sometimes he is disguised as a she or HORRORS! maybe I am the great tempter! I am going to spend some time thinking about how I am tempted as well as by whom I am tempted. This just might be self-revealing…