On Getting away with It: Jesus and the Temptation in the Desert

The experience of getting away with something is a well-known personal dynamic, yet it is relatively unexplored by psychodynamic theorists, even though such experiences impact both persons and society in significant ways. In reading the Gospels, one is left with the perception that Jesus got away with desire—that is, he withstood Satan’s temptations. The essay explores “getting away with it” in light of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Ways this experience might have formed the person and ministry of Jesus are suggested.