Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
—Romans 5:18

We continue our journey from Egypt to the promised land. “Who tempts? Whom does he tempt? How does he tempt? What for? Why does he tempt?” “Unfortunately, Masha dear, some grown-ups don’t much like it when they’re asked lots of questions, indirectly pushing children towards pride, but our heavenly Father isn’t like that, for Jesus said: ‘become as little children’, and children love asking questions. Masha, little children are tempted by the Bogeyman, who torments them with hunger so that they’ll be naughty. But don’t be afraid, sweetheart, Daddy will always feed you, and for Daddy you’ll always be good.” [Masha and the Bear]

“Next stop — ‘Wilderness’.” For forty years the children of Israel walked through the wilderness, where the Lord tested them. Looking at Jesus and His forty days of temptation in the wilderness, it becomes clear at once who really tempts, and how. As it is written: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger…” [Deu.8:3] “But it’s written that it was the Lord who let them go hungry!” Contradictions always arise when one eye looks at the Old Testament and the other at the New, and both at the same time. As Jesus said, it’s better for the eye to be single — and not like a cyclops’ — and for that eye to be good; then there are fewer puzzles.

So why did all these temptations happen? It is written: “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens [disciplines] his son, so the LORD your God chastens [disciplines] you.” [Deu.8:5] “You see, son, if God the Father disciplines with hunger, how much harsher my discipline will be.” [1 Kgs.12:14] “Rehoboam, so that your head isn’t full of porridge, you should listen to your elders.” James writes clearly: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” [Jas.1:13] And hunger is evil, so don’t force diets and fasts on us — go to Africa and see. But if your right eye tempts you and wants to say: “But in Deuteronomy it’s written…”, then, on Jesus’ advice, “pluck it out and cast it from you”, because with one eye it’s easier to enter the Kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy. [Rom.14:17] First, though, turn your Bible the right way up — you’ve got it upside down, because the left eye usually looks at the Old Testament.

So why does the devil tempt? The enemy’s tactics have clearly not changed over the millennia. Just as he tempted Adam and Eve, so he tempted the people of Israel, and Jesus in the wilderness in the same way, and today it’s the same. Just like a programmed robot, no improvisation. Why did he tempt Adam and Eve? So that they would commit an offense and all mankind would live in condemnation and so in fear, “playing” hide-and-seek with God. And of course, so that he himself could rule the world, for it is written: “For if by the one man’s [Adam’s] offense death reigned through the one…” [Rom.5:17] It was much the same with Israel, for after every temptation they said: “We would have been better off living in Egypt [bondage].” So too with Jesus — urging Him to eat stones, or to go back to the law and bondage, to live according to the flesh, which He had just come out of, and of course to worship him. Dream on! Jesus is stronger than the devil, and He passed every test of obedience for us!

There is a misunderstanding that people are sinners because they sin. That’s all because the eyes look at works, instead of a single eye looking at the One work. People were sinners not because they sinned, but because Adam sinned and all became sinners. It is written: “all sinned” [in Adam] [Rom.5:12] But how much greater is Christ’s obedience than Adam’s sin! For if through one man’s [Adam’s] offense judgment came to all men, then through one Man’s [Christ’s] obedience justification came to all men. [Rom.5:18] All means all!