The First Sunday in Lent

“A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as a foreigner, few in number, and there became a great nation, mighty and populous.” — Deuteronomy 26:5

These words were given to the Hebrew people as their liturgical response during the offering of the first fruits of the land to the priest. They were to recite their collective history as they offered the fruit of the earth in worship. They were to see themselves as sharing in a history that began long before they were born. They were being instructed to adopt it as their own history.

Our worship services are structured quite similarly. We recite our history before we offer our “sacrifice” in worship as well. Take a look at the words we pray during the Eucharist—this is our shared history! Therefore, as we consider Jesus confrontation with and defeat of the Satan in our gospel reading for this Sunday, I wonder what might be the result if instead of simply reading this passage as an example to follow, we read it as a victory that has already been won on our behalf and therefore is part of our history?

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!