If only it were possible for ‘you know who’ to simply give it a rest for a week or two or even a few months. When Bible Only Thumpers correct the visible head of the Catholic Church, there is something seriously wrong here. Actually, I would prefer if his focus was back to his Marxist ruminations on climate change, the evils of capitalism and illegal immigration rather than to demonstrate his own (and by extension the Church’s) ineptitude for matters theological.

In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit “to be tempted by the devil”. Again, even if the Devil is the instrument of temptation, the Gospel is very clear that God plays an executive role in making Jesus face that temptation. It is only two chapters later in Matthew when Jesus urges his followers to pray that they avoid the same situation, praying to God that he not lead them into temptation as Jesus was led.