Teasing isn't truth

Jesus, help me say what you did: I won't believe people who tease. Amen!

Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and didn't eat or drink the whole time. The devil came and said, "If you're God, turn the rocks into bread." Jesus said, "Bread isn't all that keeps you alive. God does, too." The devil took Jesus to the top of a building and said, "Jump. If you're God, the angels will catch you." "Don't test God," Jesus answered. The devil showed Jesus the whole world and said, "I'll give you this if you worship me." "You should worship only God," Jesus answered. "Go away!" And the devil left Jesus alone.

Getting teased is a hard part of being a kid. Other kids make fun of whatever they don't like about you. Sometimes, you think of a great comeback; other times, you only wish you knew what to say to make them stop.

This week's Gospel (Matthew 4:1-11) is about teasing. The devil is teasing Jesus, pushing Him to get into an argument. For everything the devil says, Jesus says something right back: that God, not bread, gives people life; that God's the only one people should worship; that no one should test whether God cares about them.

You might think that Jesus is one of those people who always has the perfect comeback. When the devil tries to tease Him, He says something back right away.

But there's a difference: When kids tease, they're usually trying to hurt each other. If someone is mean to you, your first thought is to say something mean right back. But when Jesus talks to the devil, He isn't mean. He just keeps saying, in different ways, "What you're telling me isn't true, and I won't believe it."

What a great idea! Even when someone is teasing you like crazy, you don't have to search your brain for the perfect words to hurt them back. Jesus taught us to say, "That's not true." And if you say it enough times, even the worst teaser of all will leave you alone!