Introit (Psalm 91)
St. Matthew 4:1–11
In the name of the Father and of the + Son
and of the Holy Spirit –
Psalm 91 is all over this Sunday. It’s the
source of the Introit, the Gradual, and the Tract – all of those brief prayers
and songs that bring us into God’s presence at the beginning of the service and
divide up our Scripture readings. And it’s quoted in the Gospel reading. But
not by Jesus.
Psalm 91 is quoted by the Devil
during the second temptation. “If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down from the temple, for it is written in Psalm 91, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their
hands they will bear you up, lest you strike
your foot against a stone.’”
Of course, the Devil doesn’t quote it faithfully. He twists it. He quotes it
only in an effort call God’s Word into question. His temptation for Jesus is to
doubt the trustworthiness of God’s Word. Because if God really means what He
says here in Psalm 91, if He really sends His angels to lift up His children,
then why has every Christian in the history of the world stubbed his toe or
tripped? Why have Christian soldiers been pierced with arrows and bullets? Evidently
the angels don’t protect people as this Psalm says they should and God makes
promises that He doesn’t keep. Our real answer to the Devil’s temptation is in
the very last verses of Psalm 91 that make our antiphon for today: When he calls to me, I
will answer him; says the Lord.
I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and
honor him. This is the answer for God’s children to give the Devil. God
says He will answer. He will be with us and honor us.
This also shows how dumb the
Devil is for trying to play games with this Psalm. He is pretending like he
doesn’t know what poetic language is. Everything in Psalm 91 is leading up to
those last verses of God’s salvation. The whole Psalm points to the promise
that God will answer. So, of course, God is not a building, but the Psalm
describes Him as our refuge and fortress, our shelter and dwelling place. God
is not a bird, but the Psalm says He will
cover you with His feathers, and give you refuge under His wings. God is not
a piece of armor, but the Psalm says He is a shield and buckler. The Psalm is
describing and promising to you spiritual realities. And so also the angels do guard
and keep you. They bear you up, and pray for you, so that your soul would not
be struck against the stone tablets of the Law and be destroyed. The angels are
your aids and guardians in the spiritual combat with the Devil and the Law’s
accusations that the Devil uses against you. Your soul, which is figured in
this Psalm as your feet, will tread upon the lion and the adder, that is your
adversary the Devil, the roaring lion and cunning serpent. You will conquer. Satan
and all his lies will be destroyed. The Psalm doesn’t say you will never stub
your toe or will not die in battle. But it says your life has purpose because
God is on your side. Satan cannot have you. Your end will not be in defeat. God
is bringing about your true deliverance and rescue.
This also means that this Psalm is
really for the Children of God, not for the Messiah. Jesus doesn’t get these
benefits. In fact, He gets the opposite. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness
in order to be tempted by the Devil, but we are taught to pray, Lead us not into temptation. And the
Devil tempts Jesus to make Himself some bread. The idea with that temptation is
that Jesus gives bread to His greedy, complaining people, so why not do for Himself
the things He does for them? Why should He feed others, while He goes hungry? Really,
none of the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are answered for Jesus. He doesn't
get daily bread. He is led into temptation. And He is not delivered from the evil
one. Instead, He is handed over to the Devil and is killed. And through all
Christ’s suffering and humiliation, the Devil is trying to get Jesus to take
for Himself what He gives to others. He is trying to get Jesus to rescue
Himself, to come down from the cross, and to not save sinners.
But our Lord Jesus will not give
in. He goes through all the temptations and sufferings. And through it all He
trusts that He will receive good things from His Father. His perfect faith
makes Him patient. Jesus has true confidence in His Father’s love, and so He
waits for it, even while starving in the wilderness, even while hanging forsaken
on the cross. He has perfect faith.
This is also why our Lord doesn’t
argue with the devil or explain what Psalm 91 is actually for. He doesn’t have
a debate, but simply responds to the temptation by quoting Scripture: Don’t
test God. The Devil has custom made temptations for all of us, but under it all
is some version of this: God is holding out on you. If God really loves you, He
should give you what your flesh wants. Now we try to explain why that’s not so,
and we should. This is why we study the Scriptures so we can see what God
really does want for us and why it is good for us, and also come to see that
what our flesh wants is bad for us. But in the crisis, in the middle of
temptation, it is no good to argue with the Devil. The best response is to do
what Jesus did – quote Scripture. The best response is to reply, “God is good
and I will wait for Him.”
It is sadly true that the most
important time we need to pray is when we least feel like it. So let me also
suggest that when you pray for deliverance from whatever temptation you’re
facing, you pray out loud. First, the Word of God actually drives demons away,
so say it that they can hear it and tremble at its power. Second, praying out
loud slows you down and helps you actually think about the situation you’re in
and what God has to say about it. And third, it fills the void, so you don’t
feel so alone and it lets you hear what you’re saying. Along this line, we
can’t say enough good things about singing hymns, and memorizing the Catechism
and other Scripture verses. These are most precious, and our only weapons
against Satan.
God tempts no one. But while we
are in this life and in this flesh temptation will still come, and we always
participate in it in some way, failing, even if it’s only in our darkest
thoughts. But our Lord Jesus did not fail. He did not participate in sin or
entertain the slightest doubt in God’s goodness. In this way, Jesus doesn’t
really need Psalm 91. But you do. It’s for you. During His humiliation, His
time of suffering, Jesus denied Himself what He provides for us. The holy
angels didn’t fight for Him, but they do for you every day. He was not lifted
up, but cast down, His heel was bruised, He was crucified, so that you will not
die. You get all the credit for standing firm in the day of temptation. You get
all the credit for overcoming the Devil and his lies. So do not fear. The evil
one shall not be allowed to overcome you. Satan and all your enemies of sin and
death attacked Jesus instead of you, and He has taken it all.
You have a Redeemer. When you
call He will answer you. He will rescue and honor you. With life eternal He
will satisfy you and show you His salvation. Because after the Devil did His
worst, and bruised Jesus’ heel, Jesus crushed the devil’s head and rose again. The
Devil’s lies could not defeat Him and the grave itself could not hold Him. Risen
from the dead, Jesus is vindicated as the perfect, faithful man. He is no longer
humble, no longer suffering the Devil’s attacks. Your Lord has won, and His
victory is for you, so that when you call He will answer.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus –
Adapted from Rev. David Petersen, Lent 1,
2015
