Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 1

Daily Lectionary:Job 13:1-12; John 6:1-21

In The Name of Jesus. How strong do you feel against Satan? How good at turning back the temptations of the demons?

Maybe we don’t want to answer that question. If I say, “I am strong against Satan, I am good at turning back temptation!”, then I’m guilty of self-righteousness, self-deception, and high arrogance before God. On the other hand, if I say, “I have no chance against Satan, temptations overcome me at every turn,” then I have left myself as powerless against the devil; I might as well give up. Either way, the Law crushes me, either for self-righteousness or for falling to temptation, both of which are about the same thing anyway.

Maybe we need a different question. How strong is Jesus against Satan? How good is He at overcoming temptation?

This question gets an entirely different answer. When tempting Jesus, Satan used the words of Psalm 91. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down [from the Temple pinnacle],” said Satan, “for it is written, ‘[God] will command his angels concerning you to guard you.’” (See Luke 4:1-13)

It was a real temptation. Jesus can “prove” His faith. Why shouldn’t Jesus trust the words of the Psalm? But Jesus turned not to the words being twisted by the devil, but to the words “It is said, ‘you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Jesus needs to prove nothing to Satan, as if jumping from the Temple would prove His faith. Jesus turned back Satan’s temptation. Though tempted as we are, Jesus is without sin. Satan has no accusation to hold against Him, the holy Law has no guilt for Him.

Jesus did not walk into that wilderness to be tempted by Satan because it was something Jesus needed for Himself. He did it for us. He did it for every sinner, for each one of us as we daily fall to Satan’s deceit and temptations. Jesus underwent the temptations which belong to us. And He overcame it. For us. He, the righteous One now accounts His righteousness to us, even as on the cross, our falling to temptation was accounted to Him. 

How strong are you against Satan? No, rather ask, how strong is my Lord against Satan? For He is the One who forgives me, who commands His angels concerning me, and who guards me in all my ways. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.