The Question Behind Every Temptation
When Love is Tested: Jesus in the Desert
Who Do You Love? This line from a rock song poses an existential question we all answer every time that we face temptation. Today’s liturgy focuses on temptation. Temptation is part of the human condition, as we see in the first reading on Original Sin (cf. Gen. 3). Christ became truly like us, experiencing temptation, but without falling into sin (cf. Mt. 4:1-11).
We often think of temptation as a dry testing of our will, but we don’t recognize it as a test of our love. When we are in prayer and are tempted to look at our phone, we can see this as an expression of the question, “Whom do you love?” Is the love of God enough to hold your attention, or are you drawn irresistibly to scroll through Instagram?
We feel that we can love a lot of different things and still love God. We might even say that we put God first in our lives, even when many of our behaviors would suggest otherwise. We assume that we love God because we don’t hate him. But this is because we do not fully understand love. The opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference. If we are willing to put God aside and “tell him not to look” at some aspects of our life, we are being indifferent to him and cannot say sincerely that we love him with all our mind, heart and soul.
In today’s Gospel, we hear about how Jesus chose to fast in the desert and face the temptations of the Devil before beginning his public ministry. What he did two thousand years ago, we have to do now.
What is Temptation?
The great spiritual author Tanquerey describes temptation as a “solicitation to evil on the part of our spiritual foes” (Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, 901). God never tempts us directly, but he does allow temptation so that we can merit heaven. It is also a means of purification. Temptation makes us remember how we have fallen through lack of vigilance or effort. It requires us to strive for holiness, lest we fall into sin. Temptation is an instrument of spiritual progress because it teaches humility and love of God.
Repeating Pattern
Every temptation follows the same pattern. This will happen to you this week, maybe even today. A suggestion will come. A desire will awaken. And then, your love will be tested. Temptation suggests something attractive. Then, it pulls on our desires. Finally, it asks our will to say yes or no. Evil never presents itself as evil. We are not attracted to evil in itself, but only as an apparent good.
Jesus teaches us the proper attitude towards temptation. We should do all we can to forestall temptation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We have to do everything we can to avoid letting temptation into our minds and hearts.
Fundamental Attitudes: Watchfulness and Prayer
We are called to watchfulness and prayer. Watchfulness inspires us to avoid what we call the near occasion of sin. Often, we can ask ourselves whether a particular circumstance is sinful. Maybe it is not sinful in itself, but it brings us to the door of temptation and eventually sin. Prayer renders us invincible by placing God on our side.
When Jesus went into the desert, he was battling serious temptation, presented by the master Tempter, the Devil himself. He taught us to respond to temptation: promptly, energetically, perseveringly, and humbly. We cannot go halfway with temptation. We have to push it away immediately and return our thoughts to God.
Every temptation is a question: Whom do you love? Next time you feel tempted, don’t make it an intellectual exercise about how bad it is. Rather, see it as an opportunity to love more.
During my studies for the priesthood, we took turns doing the housework. One brother was in charge of assigning the tasks. I remember Brother Joel. He carried a sheet of paper. On one side was the work schedule. On the other side was a picture of Jesus suffering on the cross.
When he asked you to get up and wash dishes, he would quietly turn the page and show you the picture. It might have been slightly manipulative, but it was definitely hard to say no.
In the same way, when temptation creeps in, look to Jesus, and say, “Yes, you are the one I love.”
Go Deeper