On the first Sunday of Lent, we focus on the Temptation of Christ. After His baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert wilderness, where He fasted and prayed for forty days. This is why Christians observe Lent for a forty-day period. We join Jesus in fasting and prayer, seeking to increase our dependence on God. We also recall the story of the Fall, in which Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit. They thought they would become like God, but their disobedience led to their expulsion from the garden. They were unable to resist their temptation. Jesus, on the other hand, was offered bread by the devil, but He refused, saying, “One does not live on bread alone.” As the Book of Hebrews states, Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet He triumphed.
To commemorate both of these temptation stories, we recommend an Arugula, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad. The salad, of course, features garden food, reminding us of the original goodness of creation. The apple and pomegranate remind us of the forbidden fruit. Although the apple is the most common way to tell the story in the West, it is not native to the ancient Near East, so the most likely fruit of the story is the pomegranate (think of the pomegranate story of Persephone and Hades). The cider honey vinaigrette makes this salad quite tempting, but in a heavenly manner. Take this day to pray as Jesus taught us, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”