One of my first jobs in college was to break stuff. As an engineering student I spent a semester working in the testing lab for an automotive seating company where I tested dozens of seats to determine how much load they could take before failing.

I used a powerful hydraulic cylinder to exert forces much greater than those experienced in a car crash with the result being an elongated mass of metal barely recognizable as the seat that it once was. 

So why did we test so many seats and test them to such an extreme degree? It was the best way to prove to our customers that our seats were able to survive the massive forces experienced in a car crash and protect the seat’s occupants. Testing them over and over again showed that our seats were reliable and that they wouldn’t break in a car crash. 

Luke tells us that after being baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert where he remained for 40 days. During that period he fasted and was tempted repeatedly by the devil. Jesus answered each test not by lashing out at the devil but by quoting from scripture. Eventually the devil decided to leave and wait for a more opportune time to test Jesus (Luke 4:1-13). 

Why does Jesus willingly submit himself to this test? Why does God the Father sit back and allow it to happen? 

I like to think that Jesus endured the tests in the desert not only to prepare himself for his public ministry but to also show us that he is reliable and isn’t going to break. That we can put our faith in him and know that if we listen to him that all will be o.k. 

As we proceed through the 40 days of this Lenten season, perhaps we can focus on growing our ability to handle the “tests” in our daily lives by relying our faith in Jesus Christ, the perfect expression of God’s unconditional love for us, along with scripture to form the foundation of our response.