Lent begins with a man in a desert. This man has extraordinary
powers and knows himself to be of special importance to his God.
In the desert, he is facing choices about what that means for
the rest of his life. He is alone, and in a semi-starved, almost
hallucinatory condition, but the choices he makes here will not
be dismissed when he returns to "normal" life. He chooses not to
use his power for his own gratification. Instead, he chooses to
put himself and his power at the disposal of God, for the use of
others. He faces three temptations, like in all the best
stories. The first is to turn stones into bread, to satisfy his
gnawing hunger. The second is to get power over people, and the
third is to make himself invulnerable. All of these things, he
rejects. Later on in life, we see the consequences of these
choices. Jesus can produce miraculous food – but for others, not
himself. He can influence people, but only if they choose to
believe in him; and he accepts the death on the cross that
brings the presenc