First Sunday in Lent • Year A

Historical Collect

O Lord God, you would have us put no trust in anything we do. Mercifully grant that by your power we may be defended against all adversity; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gregorian Sacramentary)

Thematic Collect

Holy One, we are surrounded by temptation and all that would draw us away from you. Save us from the power of sin and death, and bring us to the life that comes through the death and resurrection of Christ; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Common Thread

There is sin in the world because one person sinned. That original sin has been passed on to all, and thus, all are sinners. The consequence of this natural condition of humanity is death. Thus, all sinners will die. Yet as the one trespass brought the condemnation of death, the one free gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ brings life to all who believe. Those who have faith in Christ and his payment for their sin, are justified to God and made righteous for Christ’s sake. 

First Reading • Genesis 3:1–21

What a great transgression was Eve’s and Adam’s disobedience. Ours is no less great. For we are told what we may and may not do, yet we, too, hear and listen to the reason of the Tempter: “You will not surely die.” When we give in to such reasoning, the value of God’s grace is minimized in our hearts. Yet God’s grace has not departed. Though the devil will never stop trying to draw us away from God’s pure will and word, where the Gospel is purely preached, we have a trustworthy guide for faith and are able to avoid sin.

Psalm • Psalm 32:1–7

David does not say, "Blessed is the one who never sins." Instead, with the understanding that all are sinners, he proceeds to the blessing of the forgiveness of sinners. The most righteous among us is nonetheless a poor, unrighteous sinner. Blessed is he if his God is the one who loves sinners and forgives their sin.

The psalmist does not suggest that blessing comes to the one who tries harder, or who makes many sacrifices, or who is so talented at ignoring his sinfulness that it does not bother him with guilt. Instead, he says, the blessed person is the one who feels so guilty that he confesses and is thereby forgiven. It is best, therefore, for us to ask forgiveness when we feel the pang of guilt. This is when God may be found. Later, we may not “find” him since, in our ensuing forgetfulness, we will sense no need of God or his forgiveness.

Second Reading • Romans 5:12–19

If Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit before it was forbidden by God’s word, they would have sinned but their sin would not have been counted against them. As God did tell them so that they might not sin, their sin was not only counted against them, it was a great sin indeed. They not only acted against God’s will, they would now no longer quite comprehend his will again. This is how sin came into the world — our world. And it is here to stay. Yet, just as sin and death spread into the world through the disobedience of one man — Adam — righteousness and life have abounded for many through the obedience of Jesus Christ. His obedience is quite unlike the disobedience of Adam. Adam’s one sin condemned us all, but our many sins have been justified by the one righteous work of Christ on the cross.

Gospel • Matthew 4:1–11

Imagine the audacity of Satan, that he would tempt the Son of Man. He knew that if he could get Jesus to listen to his word instead of the Father’s, all would be lost. Indeed, we would remain lost forever. Thanks be to God that our Lord, though weak in this flesh, was strong in the word of God. All of those beguiling promises of the devil were trumped by the written and living word of God. “It is written” was all that was needed to send Satan packing.