Temptation

The Devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread” (Luke 4:3).

            When I was growing up, my father told me stories about the Great Depression. He would talk about the struggles people faced: in getting a job; finding food to eat; and looking after their families. After listening to the problems he overcame during those years, my hardships at school seemed trivial by comparison. However, my father disagreed. For him, the crucial thing was not who confronted the greater difficulty but how they responded to it. Clearly, every  Human effort against adversity has value because it defines us and our role in the world.

            In this passage from Luke, the Devil challenges Jesus to order a stone to become a loaf of bread. By doing so, Jesus is tempted to become a different kind of Messiah than the one sent by his Father.

            Temptation was a common experience for individuals within the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament. In the Garden, the snake tested the obedience of the Man and Woman to God’s edict when it offered them the possibility of Divinity if they ate the Forbidden Fruit. God’s demand for the Sacrifice of Issac by Abraham likely challenged his belief in the promises made to him about the foundation of a great nation through his son. As the Israelites crossed the desert, their desire for food and water tested their trust in God’s Providence and raised the possibility of a return to Egypt. Each of these situations presented a temptation to those involved. A choice was necessary  not between good and evil but Faith in God and some lesser benefit. Regardless of their decision, the experience taught those involved about Divine Authority, the demands of Faith and revealed their identity in relationship to God. Christ’s Temptations in the Desert provided a similar test: a choice between fidelity to his Father’s plan and a lesser good. The satisfaction of hunger; a just world; and a spectacular demonstration of the Divinity of Jesus were not bad in themselves. Yet, their achievement was at the cost of a distortion of Christ’s true Mission and Identity. The Devil knew the actions demanded were not beyond the capacity of Jesus and matched the expectations of most individuals about the Messiah. However, that was not his Father’s Will. It was obedience to his Father which defined his Identity and Mission. The Temptations he combated in the Desert clarified everything. Since Jesus experienced the same tests as other people and overcame them he provided his Disciples with an example of the demands of Faith and God’s power over Evil.

            Lent is the Season we are called upon to re-examine our understanding of Temptation. In our Society, people usually take a Utilitarian approach when making Moral decisions: they seek the greatest good for the greatest number. By doing so, a small benefit is judged as being better than no benefit. Since each action produces some good and it is the individual who decides the amount of the benefit and number of people who gain by the action, Temptation can be reasoned away. Yet, events like the Holocaust or the slaughter in Rwanda demonstrate Evil is a real and objective experience. Temptation is valuable because it tests the individual’s ability to recognize and resist Evil. When it is overcome, a person’s Moral character is strengthened. Failure to do so leads to Evil which always produces tragic outcomes. The ability to conquer Temptation requires individuals to maintain their relationship with God. By remaining obedient to his Father’s Will Jesus became the Messiah he was called to be. Similarly, obedience to God allows people to live up to their full potential and become what they are called to be.

            During Lent, one way to develop our ability to resist Temptation is to spend more time in Prayer. Many people call upon God to deal with Temptation when they are confronted by it. Yet, after the moment of crisis has passed they forget about it. By reflecting on Temptation when it is not strong one can identify the occasions when it arises and its likely causes. These areas of life can then be brought to Prayer. Through Prayer one can seek God’s assistance to avoid situations when Temptation can occur and the strength to resist it when it does. Prayer maintains a healthy relationship with God which improves one’s ability to make proper Moral decisions. Rather than bringing temporary relief from Temptation, Prayer can allow Catholics and other people of Faith to develop a long term resistance to the desire to succumb to Temptation and Sin. Let our Prayer Life illustrate how we respond to the true effects of Temptation in our lives.

            As my Father’s stories taught me, each of us has to struggle against adversity. In difficult times, it is always tempting to look for any easy way out. How we respond in such circumstances establishes our identity and how we see our role on earth. If we declare we are Christ’s Disciples, we must like him resist the Temptation to ignore the Father’s Will and substitute a lesser good.

 

March 6, 2022