Lent comes before Easter. Advent comes before Christmas. In the church calendar this fact is built in – God never gives anyone great fortune without first giving great hardship. We try hard to remove the curse of Adam, that all our work must involve toil and hardship. We want the benefit without the work. We want feasting without fasting. This is why we fall so often for the temptation of the devil – fall down and worship me, and all the kingdoms of the world will be yours. If there’s an opportunity to get ahead, to make things easier, to make life what we want, we seize it – regardless of the will of God or the good of our neighbor.
