During Lent, we remember Jesus’ fast in the wilderness and his temptation. This week’s lectionary readings includes a passage from Psalm 91 that alludes to Jesus’ temptation at the temple in Luke 4:
And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
It’s interesting to see how the Adversary quotes from Psalm 91, as it perfectly illustrates how we all too often have such a narrow focus on Scripture that we miss the bigger picture. Here is the full context of the verses from Psalm 91 (with the quoted portion emphasized):
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Besides the fact that the promise to be saved from harm is contingent on making the Lord your dwelling place and giving in to temptation would certainly negate God’s promised action, there is no recognition for the ultimate fulfillment of the promise: it’s not protection, it is victory. In context, the verses quoted to Jesus point toward certain defeat for Satan. From Genesis 3, when Eve’s offspring will crush the serpent’s head, to Revelation’s dragon, to Peter calling Satan a prowling, roaring lion, the imagery in Psalm 91 points to Jesus defeating Satan. Yet, Satan quotes a snippet of his prophesied destruction at the one who has come to conquer sin and death. Why?
I wouldn’t fathom to suggest an answer. I have no idea. What is interesting within the story itself is that Jesus responds in humility: he responds that he “will not test God,” not that he has come to tread on his Tempter.
In any event, this episode is an apt reminder that what we think isolated verses mean and the meaning that a larger context provides can be totally separate things. There is a deeply interwoven Story within the Scriptures, one that points to the redemptive arc of the Trinity. Scripture is often quoted rightly, but it is too often ripped from the context provided. Let this be a lesson in the temptation to fit the Scriptures to our own agendas, and instead to come and submit ourselves to the rich themes running through the Scriptures that point to Christ and his saving work.