The devil tempted Jesus by quoting scripture, as today’s Gospel reminds us. Try a self-serving miracle. Try selling out. Try dazzling the audience; people are gullible, after all. Try all these easy ways. The tempter tries to urge Jesus onto the slippery slope, attempts the old soft-soap, the snake-oil solutions that are always readily at hand. The devil knows better, but is powerless to do better, much less be better. The devil is evil personified, who senses in Jesus the stronger, truly attractive presence of holiness.

Evil is exposed and engaged, we are reminded in this Sunday’s Gospel. Evil knows the jig is up. The undoing of lies begins with Jesus, who takes up the work of soul-healing and world-healing. This Lent, the Church invites us to enter into this renewing, re-creative work and be made whole again.