Trinity Episcopal Church Staunton, VA

To welcome and encourage all in our journey with Christ

Identity Test

Theological Truth: Jesus’ testing in the wilderness reveals his true identity…and ours.

William Blake, The First Temptation—” Command that these stones be made bread.”

I was surprised by my daughter’s Christmas request this year: a three month subscription to ancestry.com and the introductory DNA testing kit that came with it. It’s not like she chose that over the offer of a new car or a week in the Caribbean, but still…. A DNA test?! And just to be clear, this has nothing to do with questions of paternity. If you’ve seen the picture of her in my office, you would know that our relatedness does not require genetic validation. Nevertheless, the DNA test promised to provide scientifically verifiable information about her identity, and she wanted that.

She’s not alone. According to a 2022 study by UT Southwestern, “researchers found that 81% of Americans are aware of genetic testing and 40% have undergone at least one test” and that’s “up from 75% awareness and 19% usage in 2020.” (source). Apparently, a LOT of us have questions about who we are and where we come from. These “direct to consumer” DNA kits are one way to test for that, but they’re not the only way.

Jesus undergoes an identity test in the wilderness. That may come as a surprise, because we are more familiar with him facing temptations in the wilderness, rather than testing. In the first sentence of today’s Gospel Luke tells us, “After his baptism, Jesus, fully of the Holy Spirit, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” (4:1-2a). But notice that the last verse uses an alternate translation of the same word: “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.” That same Greek word can be translated as either tempted or tested. That’s why we have these two translations of the Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation” and “save us from the time of trial” or from the time of testing.

So, what’s the difference between a temptation and a test? One way to think about it is to imagine the desired result of the action. When someone tempts you, it’s likely because they want you to fail. The advertisers placing the tempting photos of a chocolate shake at the order counter want you to fall for it. But when you’re being tested, the teacher, for example, wants you to pass. They want to know that you’ve mastered the material. Your passing indicates their effectiveness. But there’s more. Testing is also about identity. If you pass the bar, you’re an attorney. If you pass the pilot test, you get your wings. If you pass the CPA exam, you’re an accountant. The purpose of testing isn’t to trip us up, it’s to show what we know and who we are. Testing reveals our identity.

The devil tests Jesus’ identity by asking, “If you are God’s son….” This testing reveals him to be the Son of God. By doing so, he gives us the answers on how to be sons and daughters of God. Jesus shows us that children of God are God-dependent, rather than self-dependent. We demonstrate our true identity by our unwavering commitment to rely on God rather than ourselves.

  • Even when famished, we look to God for nourishment rather than taking matters into our own hands.
  • Even when we feel powerless or impoverished, we rely on God’s power to meet our needs.
  • Even when the world appears to need a superhero, we trust in the slow work of God.

But these identity tests continue throughout our lives. Did you notice the last line, “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.” The powers of evil do not give up easily. Even though in the fullness of God’s time they have been defeated, in this “not yet” time of our wilderness wandering they still test us. And so, especially during Lent, but really throughout our time on this side of eternity, we learn from the answers Jesus gives and the study habits he shows us.

That’s what we’re doing in this yearly wilderness way of Lent: seeking time with God; remembering to depend on God; listening for direction from the Spirit; meditating on scripture; deepening our prayer life. In order to be children of God, we also resist and withdraw from the things, the people, the practices that draw us away from our deepest identity and our ultimate home. We subtract the distractions, and we adopt the practices that draw us deeper into our relationship as children of God.

One last thing to remember about our Lenten time of testing: perfection is not the goal. Union with God is the goal. Living as sons and daughters of God is what we are striving for. This doesn’t require a perfect score, because it’s not an award to win, it’s an invitation to accept—a reality to celebrate. Like all children, our identity, our place, our belonging, our belovedness is never earned. It is the gift of a generous God abounding in steadfast love and kindness. Ultimately, our time in the wilderness, our journey from Lent to Easter, from cross to crown, is about becoming who we’ve always been. The tests reveal whose we have been all along.