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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Dr Krish Kandiah

Good Morning.

These days I find myself getting increasingly frustrated when things don’t go quite the way I expect. When there’s no milk for my cereal. If the internet goes down for five minutes. Whenever my train is delayed and I miss the first half of the football match. You don’t want to see me in times like that. Even my cat avoids me.

That’s why I am so impressed by how Jesus deals with being without food, water and shelter for 40 whole days. Early on in Matthew’s gospel we read of Jesus’ experience in the desert, and it seems he has every reason to be short-tempered, to take things into his own hands, to do things he wouldn’t ordinarily do. But even facing the weakness and pain of hunger and thirst, the wrestling with loneliness, he still resists temptation. Matthew highlights three specific temptations and Jesus’s surprising response to each of them.

Jesus refuses to use his power to make food the determining factor in his life, although the time will come when he won’t hesitate to feed others who are hungry around him.

Jesus refuses to use his privilege and status as God’s son to save himself, although ultimately he will save everyone else, even though it means putting himself on the wrong side of God’s anger.

Jesus refuses to use his influence to gain control over the world around him, although he will one day use that influence and power in submission to God to help put the world right.

We all know what it is like to be tempted to live in a way that prioritises our own needs ahead of those of others. But the power, privilege, status and influence we have been given are not primarily for our own use. May we have the strength of mind and character to discern how best to use those things today for the sake of those around us.

Lord God, help us to follow your example, and consider the needs of others before our own. Help us to feed the hungry, empower the weak, and share all we have been given without hesitation, frustration or bitterness. For your name’s sake.

Amen.

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