And so, we do battle with a devil in red tights who prods us gently with a pitchfork. “Go on, have another doughnut,” he says. “Get behind me, Satan!” we reply. “I’m on a detox.”
For those of us in the West, the thought of going six weeks or so without a little luxury seems a genuine challenge. And Lent certainly provides the only collectively counter-cultural moment in our calendar when the idea of ‘self denial’ is on the minds of the mass consumers.
But to make the most of it, we should return to the source – in this case, to when Jesus went into the desert. There, he faced temptation, where the conclusion was surely not foregone – otherwise, why bother? - and the battle was with no naughty-but-nice cartoon character.
Jesus took the battle for ‘self denial’ to a desolate place. He knew it would be easy to hold something back for himself along the Way – recognition in his lifetime, the comforts that would surely follow from being such a naturally charismatic leader… And the devil knew that this would destroy his strength.
And so, he entered battle, waging war against that which might distract him from his calling. He dismissed the devil with authority, for it is written: Man shall not live on bread alone; worship the Lord your God and serve him only; do not put God to the test.
When he returned from the desert ‘full of the Spirit’, Luke records that Jesus turned once again to the scriptures. He took the scroll, and found the place where it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind. To set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
There, in the desert, Jesus fought not only against Satan but for the unfolding of his true purpose in life. Denying ourselves chocolate in the wilderness of Lent is a very useful exercise in self-discipline. Finding ourselves - and our role - within the greatest story ever told, however, remains a very different kind of mission.
