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February 22, 2015"The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan." (Mark 1:12)
Don Dunn tells this story about his father.
My father was a mechanic and owned a service garage. One day a trucker drove in for service. When it came time for the bill, the trucker suggested adding a few 'extras,' saying, “The company will pay; we can split the difference. You will get a little extra; I will get a little extra; the company will never know.”
My father refused the offer.
The driver pushed the point, saying, “I’m going to be really good customer here and will steer a lot of business your way. Why shouldn’t we both profit from the ‘extra-reliable’ service you offer?”
My father said, “That’s not my style.”
When the driver persisted my father told him to go elsewhere.
The driver then said, “I’ll not go elsewhere! I own a trucking firm, and I just wanted to be sure that you were a mechanic I could trust.”
I hope every child has a bushel basket full of similar stories about their parents, grandparents, teachers and all the elders in their life. You can talk to a child about right and wrong until you are blue in the face, but it’s how you act in the trenches that will
leave the greatest impression and make the greatest impact on his life.
Don Dunn’s father faced a serious temptation. A little extra money in his pocket would have been a big help to him and his family. However, over the years he had learned to resist the temptation to dishonesty in pursuit of immediate gain. Rather he chose to serve
the greater good, i.e. God’s way. He resisted temptation and chose God’s way. Best of all, he had a son who profoundly respected him for his honesty and integrity. That was surely worth more than all the money in the world.
Temptations are part of every person’s life. Even Jesus was tempted when he went into the desert after his baptism to prepare for his public ministry. Whether our temptations are to dishonesty, of a sexual nature, or some other area, the pull can seem overwhelmingly inviting. Lent invites us to go into the desert with Jesus, and through our acts of self-denial and penance, to learn that we control our urges and appetites so that they are always responded to in accord with God’s design. Practice self-discipline this Lent and learn that, like Jesus, we can resist temptation and choose God’s way over the pull of sin. Trust that God’s word is the ultimate path to life. Don Dunn’s father’s payback for resisting temptation was the undying respect of his son. Don’t let the short term pleasure that giving in to temptation may offer, distract you from the greater good, the joy and satisfaction that ultimately accompanies choosing God’s way.
Fr. John P. Klein, Pastor
