Tempted in the Desert

I gave in to temptation this weekend. I went Christmas shopping. I had a relatively short list — co-workers, and a friend — and I got started early enough to miss the worst of the crowd. Additionally, I shopped in unique shops. Still hit holiday shopping traffic though. That was sufficiently stressful all by itself.

You know, one stressor seems to be getting the right present for someone. Since most of my co-workers are at best casual acquaintances, I didn't worry about that. Gifts exchanged at work clearly fall under the "it's the thought that counts" rule. Of the five gifts I've bought, I'm pretty sure three fit the recipient.

There's other temptations in the world, stronger temptations that the world of commerce can offer.

Others have talked about the nature of the temptations the Tempter offered Jesus in the desert. The first is physical — to satisfy a very real physical hunger. The second is power. The third is an appeal to ego — prove you are who you say you are.

I am equally susceptible to those temptations. It's easy for me to use food to fill emotional emptiness. It's easy to grasp power as a way of self-validation. It's easy to give in to an ego hungry for the attention of others.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

We would be foolish to suppose the temptations ended with that scene in the desert. Two recent movies (Last Temptation of Christ and The Passion) suggest two other times in Jesus' ministry when he might have been tempted. I have no doubt there were others, which were not recorded, and have not been speculated upon.

Consider, if you will, the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth. Of these, my greatest challenges are pride and sloth (with lust making a close third). Not once have these temptations come to me by way of some cartoon-style devil with horns and red cape. Temptation is much more subtle than that. It’s always attractive, and oft-times seems quite the bargain (see Augustine’s entry for 12/05b).

Augustine’s story could be a little parable. Temptations will eventually wound us in some way. Most of us won’t recognize it as quickly as Augustine did. Some of chose the pleasure of the temptation over the pain it causes us. And we’re never done with temptation; as with the story in the desert, when one seems conquered, a new one arises. Or, the old one takes on an alternate form. Always, temptation waits for the opportune time.

Luke 4:1-13