Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
 
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'People do not live on bread alone." The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world."
 
And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.""
 
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."    Luke 4:1-6 (NIV)

Occasionally, as I drive into the garage at work, I find myself behind a car with a bumper sticker reading: "If you're living as if there's no hell, you'd better hope you're right!" While the afterlife is not necessarily something I contemplate prior to starting the workday, we have embarked upon the season of meditation, introspection, and thoughts of penitence.

As Jesus wandered the desert for 40 days, fasting, temptations abounded, presented to Him by an acknowledged expert in that art, He resisted in what seemed an effortless fashion. Not everyone has this strength and power of will.

So many of us become lost, adrift in a world where corruption and evil seem to overpower goodness and kindness. Various media bombard us with visual and auditory stimulation, yet this "bread" doesn't always provide satiety and fulfillment. In this sensory overload, once in a while, we notice that something remains missing. There is a gnawing hunger, and a yearning to make sense out of chaos.

Many years ago, in a children's sermon during Lent, the pastor asked for the meaning of Lent. One little boy raised his hand and said "It gets on clothes." The entire congregation chuckled, despite his mother's embarrassment. For a while, this child was known to some as "Lint Boy." In a way, the child correctly answered the question; Lent is a time when we are meant to brush the lint from our souls and characters, and seek the goodness residing within us all.

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
   Psalm 25:4-7 (NIV)

Maybe the sins and transgressions of the past can be brushed off as easily as lint through sincere repentance. Overcoming the past can seem impossible, yet some people can undergo the most horrible experiences and live beneficial lives. They have to find their strength somewhere. May all souls be brushed clean, fresh and shining.

As we worship you today, Father, we look back on the evil that stains our lives and burdens our consciences, and we pray with David: "Cleanse me, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Save me, O God, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness." Amen.

Contributed by Carol
Sunday March 1, 2009
Liturgical Year B Week 14
Sunday Gospel Readings:
First Sunday in Lent