“Oh, Love, How Deep,” verse 3 (ELW 322)
Devotion
For us baptized, for us he bore
his holy fast and hungered sore;
for us temptation sharp he knew;
for us the tempter overthrew.
In the wilderness, Jesus experiences three temptations, each more beguiling than the last, the tempter's attempt to lure him away from his mission with promises of comfort, security and power. On all three occasions Jesus effectively fends off the temptation with a quote from Deuteronomy. His command of the scriptural witness is no less impressive than the creative way in which he applies his knowledge with authority. Instead of allowing the temptations of comfort, security and power to govern his life, he chooses the dangerous path of the cross along with the vulnerability, risk and suffering that such a choice entails. Essentially, he chooses to place his trust in God, and all of this is "for us," as the hymn so poignantly puts it.
Prayer
Sustaining God, surround us with your strength these forty days, as we confront whatever would keep us from you. Amen.