Our Greatest Hunger

Jesus, what was your greatest hunger?

Was it self-sufficiency? Success? Power?

The desert wilderness is a lifeless and forsaken place. Yet, you were led there by God's Spirit. You must've been so hungry, so lonely, so vulnerable.

In that moment, the Evil One tried to dissuade you from your mission of proclaiming God's goodness, love, and salvation. The Evil One knew the humility and radical trust of your forthcoming mission and so he tapped into your deepest temptations, your deepest hungers.

Jesus, you were tempted to turn stone to bread. You could have done this. Easily. You were present at the creation of the cosmos. You are the Word from whom all receive life and existence. But you refused. You show us that our deepest hunger is to be radically dependent on God the Father. Everything - our food and drink, our clothing and homes, our jobs and families, our very life - is a gift from God. Jesus, you show us that we need not rely on ourselves, but that we can trust in God's generosity.

"Christ in the Desert" by Ivan Kramskoi

You were then tempted to jump off the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem. The Evil One reminded you that surely the angels would have intervened and protected you from any harm. And those who witnessed such a feat would surely recognize Jesus as the One sent from God! But Jesus, you again refuse. Did you know your mission would include being rejected by so many? Surely, you could have jumped and proven who you really were. You would have had many instant followers! But you trusted God's plan. It is not enough to be successful in your mission. Jesus, you teach us that faithfulness to God is greater than our vision of success.

And finally Jesus, the Evil One offered you authority over all the kingdoms of the world. Such immense and automatic power could have been yours, Jesus, if you only denied your mission. Did you know that you would tortured, and executed, and placed in a borrowed tomb? Power is surely more appetizing than powerlessness! Yet, you knew that true Lordship was won by renouncing yourself, taking up your cross, and following the Father's will. Jesus, you  overcame the temptation to hold and wield power. True power in the Kingdom of your Father means being the last, the least, and a servant.

In that desert wilderness, Jesus, you responded to the temptations of self-sufficiency, success, and power with faithfulness, trust, and selflessness. Help us to respond as you did, Jesus, for it is you alone who satisfy our greatest hunger.