Think now.
What was your last temptation?
How did it work?
In understanding the answers
to these questions,
perhaps we can get an idea
of how temptation affects us in this life.
Perhaps,
we can see more clearly
what we need to do
to progress away from sin
and towards God.
[PAUSE]
Let's look at
how Jesus is tempted
by the Devil.
In each case,
the Devil presents Jesus
with an action together with
some verses of Holy Scripture
which shows how that action
is a reasonable thing to do.
What do we see?
The first thing
that we must notice is that
the Devil always suggests
something that seems quite
reasonable and healthy for us.
He doesn't tell us
to poke out our own eyes
with a sharp stick,
for example.
The only way that
this might be attractive to us
is if we were taking the Lord’s words
to pluck out our eyes
and cut off our hands literally.
So you see,
essentially every possible action
that a human being can do
can be made to have
some Biblical support.
We can be tempted to adultery
because the Devil can use Holy Scripture
to show how adultery
might not apply in our case.
The Devil can tempt us to murder
by showing us verses from the Bible
that might suggest that
what we're doing is not really murder.
This is how the Devil operates.
Whatever action
he wants us to perform,
he can back it up with words
from Holy Scripture itself.
The Devil can use the words
of God Himself
to tempt us into ways
that separate us from God.
That's rather worrying, isn't it?
[PAUSE]
We can sort of see
how the World around us
struggles with Christianity sometimes.
The way the World expects us
to operate is according
to the World’s reading
of Holy Scripture.
Let us be clear:
the words of Holy Scripture written down
mean nothing
unless they are accompanied
by the Church’s relationship
with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
We need the Holy Spirit
working through the Church
to guide us
into how to use the Bible
to justify our actions.
The moment we try to separate
the words of the Holy Scripture
from the mind of Christ,
Holy Scripture becomes
nothing more than any other book.
Without Christ,
the Holy Bible
is no different from
the telephone directory.
[PAUSE]
Of course
the Devil is trying
to tempt Jesus,
true Man and true God.
The Devil is trying
to tempt God
to separate Himself from God.
That's the point!
All temptation is
to test our relationship with God.
Even God tempts us.
[PAUSE]
God tempts Abraham
to sacrifice his son Isaac.
That's the word that is used:
God tempts Abraham.
In this case,
God’s temptation
is to strengthen
Abraham's faith and to show him
how he puts God first
even before his well-beloved son.
It also reflects
the fact that
God Himself loves us
so much that
He will sacrifice His own well-beloved son.
God tempting Abraham
strengthens the relationship
between Man and God.
The Devil’s temptation
is to tempt man away from God
by using what is utterly reasonable
to make that separation.
[PAUSE]
If we are hungry
then it is reasonable for us to eat.
The Devil tempts Jesus
in His hunger to eat.
He knows that Jesus
can easily turn stone into bread.
But Jesus knows that
to turn stone into bread
is contrary to how
His Father wants His creation to work.
The Devil takes Jesus
to the top of the temple.
If He wants people that
He is the son of God,
wouldn't it be a great idea
to throw Himself down
and let the angels lift him up?
Wouldn't that convince
everyone that
Jesus is the Son of God?
Wouldn’t that make
His message of salvation
more believable?
Isn't it a good idea?
We'll, no!
This turns Jesus
into a showman
and His Father into
a performing monkey
ready to catch His daredevil Son.
It shows God no respect.
It shows His Divine plan
for our salvation no respect.
It shows humanity
no respect.
The Devil then tempts Jesus
with another reasonable idea.
Wouldn't it be easier for Him
to worship the Devil?
After all,
worshipping the Devil
would be far less hassle,
especially if the Devil gives
Jesus control of all things.
And it is very tempting!
Surely control of all things
means an easy, happy life,
doesn't it?
It is reasonable,
but it is not right,
it is not part of
God’s great and intricate plan
for saving humanity from sin and death.
Jesus says no.
Only God is in control of all things,
not the Devil.
Jesus knows that
He must do His Father’s bidding.
He must go to the Cross.
[PAUSE]
Every temptation from the Devil
seeks to tear us away from God.
Each temptation
seeks to make
a mockery of God
and Man
and our salvation in Him.
This is why we must be
very quick to pray
whenever we are faced
with temptation.
Saint Paul says that
we will always be given
a way out of temptation
if we look for it.
In order to find that way out
we need to find God first.
We need to strengthen
our relationship with God.
Saint John tells us that
we must test the spirits
that seek to influence us.
Test them against what?
We must test the spirits against
what is written in the Bible
what the Church Fathers teach
and only then what is reasonable.
We test the spirits
by bringing them with us
into the Church,
into the Mind of Christ.
We can only
overcome temptation
by Grace
and that means
we need the active presence of God
in our decision-making.
Too often
the World goes with
whatever is reasonable,
whatever makes sense,
whatever seems fair honest just equitable
to make its decisions.
It does so blindly,
separated from God,
mocking Him
in its sightlessness.
It is our job, then,
to live those lives of repentance
turning from
Sin, the World and the Devil
toward God.
Repentance is
always a positive thing
because in repenting
we are turning to God.
[PAUSE]
We will always be tempted
with whatever seems reasonable,
but it is only in the Mind of Christ
that we see what is truly reasonable.
Whatever is not
bringing us closer to God
is separating us from him.
Let us therefore not allow
that which just seems reasonable
to lead us into sin.
Does that sound reasonable to you?
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