Chapter 22. The Law Reveals the True Lord and God.The Gospel, Too, Manifests Him.
Chapter 22
1. Our Lord clearly showed that the Lord is the true and only God, who was revealed by the Law. For the one whom the Law preached as God, him Christ revealed to be the Father, whom alone the disciples of Christ must serve. The Lord also defeated our Adversary by the words that are in the Law. But the Law commands us to praise the Creator as God and to serve him alone. So it is no longer necessary to look for another Father besides this one, or above this one, For there is but one God who will justify the uncircumcised on the ground of their faith, and the circumcised because of the faith. For if there were some other perfect Father above this one, he [Christ] would not have defeated Satan by the words and commandments of this one. For one ignorance cannot be cancelled by another ignorance; just as one degeneracy cannot make void another degeneracy. If, then, the Law comes from ignorance and degeneracy, how can the words that are in it be made void by the Devil’s ignorance, and how can the strong man be overcome? For the strong man cannot be overcome by one less strong or equally strong, but by one who has a greater power. Now the Word of God has greater power than all other things. He is proclaimed loudly in the Law: Hear, O Israel, “The Lord your God, is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your soul; and him shall you adore, and him only shall you serve.” Now in the Gospel the Lord by means of these same statements destroyed the rebellion, and by the Father’s word he overcame the strong one. By his words, too, he acknowledged the commandment of the Law, saying, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Really, he did not destroy his Adversary and overcome the strong one by another’s word, but by his Father’s word.
2. By his commandment, he taught us who have been set free that when we are hungry we should take the food that is given by God; and that, if we are placed at the heights of every charism, or if we are confident in the works of justice, or if we have been decorated with the highest administrative office, we should never be elated or tempt God. No, we should think humbly in all things and have ready at hand this, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. The Apostle taught the same, Do not be haughty, he said, but associate with the lowly. He meant that we should not be taken in by riches, worldly splendor, and temporary fancy; but we should know that it is necessary to adore the Lord your God, and to serve only him; and not to believe him who falsely promises things that are not his, saying, To you I will give all these things, if you will fall down and worship me. Why, he himself confesses that to worship him [the Devil] and to do his will is to fall away from the glory of God. And in what pleasant or good thing can one who has fallen share? Or what else can such a one hope for and await except death? For one who has fallen, death is near. Then, as a matter of course, he will not give what he promised. For how can he who fell give anything? God has dominion over man, and over him [Devil] too, since not even a sparrow falls to the ground unless our Father in heaven wills it. Thus the [Devil’s] statement, All these things have been delivered to me, and I give them to whom I will, he said as one who is puffed up with pride. For the creation is not under his power, since he himself is one of the creatures. Nor can he give the kingdom of men to men; no, all other things and all things pertaining to men are disposed according to the order of God the Father. Now, the Lord says, The devil is a liar from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth. So if he is a liar, and has nothing to do with the truth, he certainly did not say truthfully, All these things have been delivered to me, and I give them to whom I will. No, he told a lie.