The journey through the Lenten season is not
possible devoid of an encounter with evil. The presence of evil is so pervasive
we cannot go a single day without some manifestation of its reality. Evil is
something to be faced not avoided because avoidance only gives more room for
evil to work.
Jesus, fresh from the waters of baptism, is
literally “driven” into the wilderness by the Spirit for the purpose of being
tested. God tells Jesus and all who gathered for baptism, “This is my Son, my beloved. I am pleased with him.” God affirmed
the truth of God’s relationship with Jesus. So, while in the wilderness, Jesus
is confronted by evil, Satan, the Devil. After having fasted for a long time,
Jesus was very hungry. So the way evil operates is to attack at the point of
our greatest vulnerability. Bread is offered. Satan is rebuffed. Fame through
miraculous feats is offered. Satan is rebuffed. Worldly power is offered. For a
third time, Satan is rebuffed. Satan leaves but the testing is not over. Jesus
never wavered from his identity as God’s Son.
So it is with us. Evil is always present. Evil will
manifest itself to us in, perhaps, the most innocuous, seemingly
non-threatening way. The test for us will be how we deal with the evil. Jesus
was bathed in the Power and Presence of God. So are we. Not confronting evil is
not an option. We will need to deal with it – not with our own power but with
the power of God who has claimed us as God’s own.
Larry Carroll
This is part of a daily devotional series running through the Lenten Season (March 5-April 20th). Please feel free to comment below and share this devotional with your friends and family.
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