Sermon for Invocabit, the First Sunday in Lent

The first lesson in the catechism is the First Commandment, and hopefully all the confirmation students here should have this learned by heart, “You shall have no other Gods.” As you know from the explanation, this means, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” The story of God and humanity is wrapped up in the first commandment. We have a God who is worthy of fear, love, and trust, because there is nothing and no one greater, more loving, more trustworthy. Everything we have comes from him. The history of the human response is to fear, love, and trust everything else but God, to seek our good elsewhere. This is also known as sin. This was done first in the Garden of Eden by our parents, Adam and Eve, and through them passed down through the generations to all humanity. No one could get out of this trap, no one fully sought God alone until Jesus. It was Jesus who would face the temptation to seek other gods and, as a man, fully defeat it. The good news today is that this victory is given to you as well.