From the artist:

While in the wilderness, what does Jesus resist? The temptation to provide only for himself instead of living into God’s abundant manna. The temptation to obtain unlimited power and control. The temptation to coerce faith or prove God’s power. The temptation to rule above the earth instead of from within it.

In his own 40-day Lent, Jesus is reformed and readied for his ministry, one defined by humility, justice, and compassion. I imagine he had to let go of ego and self-serving desires in order to cultivate a leadership ethic that upends structures of power and oppression. He had to let go of personal profit in order to cultivate inner strength.

In this image, a flash of  red, symbolizing evil and temptation, snakes around Jesus’ head, as if to suffocate him. But a halo of gold, emanating from his steadfast expression, protects him from evil’s destruction.

—Lisle Gwynn Garrity