Ever since Adam and Eve said yes to the apple, temptation has gotten a bad rap.
After all, the word simply means ‘tested,’ or ‘tried,’ which is innocent enough. The fact is that temptation presupposes some rather important realities. First, the idea of temptation means we have the liberty to choose one option versus another. We often overlook the blessing of freedom to do as we choose, which also bespeaks a depth of love of the Creator who made things that way. Second, temptation is a commentary on desire. Our temptations assure us that much about this world is desirable, that God made a world in which there are many things we might call, ‘good.’ And finally, with reference to Sunday’s Gospel reading which tells us that following Jesus’ baptism, “the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness (where he was) tempted by Satan…” we cannot help but link temptation to the work of the Holy Spirit.
What? God-ordained temptation?!?
As puzzling as this may sound, especially in light of Jesus’ own teaching on prayer which asks us to petition the Lord to, “…lead us not into temptation…” we need to take this at face value and ponder what good there might be in the tests you and I face throughout our lives.
This is not to validate the blathery condolences we often hear from well-meaning, though dim-witted friends, who suggest that every tragedy and disaster is the machination of a puppeteer God who delights in human suffering – we all need to speed up to avoid that exit ramp on the theological highway. However, it is to say that God seems to use the testing of our faith to help us be who we really want to be. In other words, temptation may be an expression of God’s desire to love us.
I have heard sin defined as our own insistence on being what we are not – a desire for a life other than the one we are given. When we think about this, and ruminate over our own dissatisfactions over who we are, we can begin to see our own behaviors and beliefs produce many of the temptations we face. Why be tempted to spend more on home, car or clothes if we are really secure in our own self-images and not overly concerned with the opinions of others? Why be tempted to put down others when we are contented in who we are - and do not need to build ourselves up by pushing others down?
Temptation, a way to spiritual maturity? Think about it.
2 comments:
You bring to mind Father Andrew Greely, who I have long admired and whose frequent self assessment, "I have thin boundaries" I recognized in myself many years ago. Thin boundary folk live with constant temptation, likely the principal energy source for Greely's diverse inquiries into human nature—from his sharp, well-founded research into the social policy failures in Roman Catholic leadership (Chicago in particular) to the bold self-revelation of his popular romance novels!
Perhaps the temptation into which we pray with Jesus not to be lead is that which is but one small step beyond thin boundaries. It is the step into judgment. It is the step apart from the joy of sharing your personal discoveries and understandings with friends to claiming priority for your view of the world and a right to enforce it for others.
It is life as Saul, the Apostle Paul before his experience on the road to Damascus. And yet, it is also Paul and each of us as we say: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
The difference between Saul and Paul? Perhaps it’s as simple as knowing that it is God who gives us the choice, and not we ourselves. Daily temptation as the path to spiritual maturity. How about that!
"In other words, temptation may be an expression of God’s desire to love us."
I agree but without the personification...I believe that our God--the God of Jesus -- is an infinitely creative, overwhelming presence of Love that we cannot comprehend but can sometimes feel...and that God's omnipotence includes the many potentialities we have assigned to the Devil...why could it not be God who is there in the desert teaching these lessons through adversity? would that change my own belief and faith? no...in fact it would be infinitely more helpful not to regard our afflictions as devilwork but instead as a difficulty that comes for our potential spiritual gain, our own benefit, through our own choices...something our God through "miracles" of our limited understanding can heal,transform, etc. for our spiritual growth...yadayada...the idea is so much more beautiful than the small role we have relegated to God...our God is too small (j b phillips? I can't remember right now)...whatever THANK YOU for a beautiful piece of thinking that inspired me to think today.
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