Advent Fourteen - Temptation

Making Time by Steve Pleydell Pearce
Credit: Stevepp.co.uk

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the tempter.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Then the tempter took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ " Again, the tempter took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

Then the tempter left him, and angels came and attended him.

Let's find time to talk about temptation, because it is intrinsically threaded into our existence on this earth.  Although, who knows, temptation may exist in the next word.  In this world, the balance of power is skewed somewhat.  "There is only one thing I can't resist", said Oscar Wilde, "and that is temptation."

There are period of time when our relationships are tested.  

In "Unconditional Love" by John Powell, Powell notes that the three temptations of Christ typify the three main human self-oriented drives.   The first is to satisfy human cravings.  The second is the giving up responsibility to gain pleasure, and the third to to crave power, status or control. Powell linked these themes to major psychological theories in social psychology at the time.   His argument was that in rejecting these three primal desires, Jesus 'life principle' is the complete opposite, which is to love God, self and others unconditionally.  

Powell, a lecturer in Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, wrote powerfully on the nature of love, though sadly his life was marred with allegations of the misuse of power.

PRAYER:  May I know that I am loved, and love so that other know they are loved.