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The temptations of Christ and ours

  • FATHER GEORGE RUTLER

Since no one was with our Lord during the forty days he spent in the wilderness, it is obvious that he later related it to his disciples.


christdesertflandesPerhaps this was among the secret things he revealed during the forty days between the Resurrection and the Ascension..  His three temptations: hedonism, materialism, and egoism, are the sum of all kinds of assaults we endure throughout life.

The physical temptation of hedonism is symbolized by bread.  Christ taught us to pray for our daily bread, for man needs food to live, but we are not meant to live for food.  That kind of satisfaction never satisfies.

That first temptation leads to another: the desire for power through things.  This inverts the other part of the prayer Christ taught: wanting my kingdom instead of the Father's.  Recently a rancher in Colorado announced that he is the rightful king of England.  That sort of curiosity makes whimsical headlines, but it is equally as eccentric to claim that one's personal will is superior to the will of God.

The most subtle temptation is to misuse the imagination.  Represented metaphorically by trying to fly, egoism goes back to that forbidden fruit in Eden.  God gave us a brain, the most complex organism in the universe, so he does not want us to be stupid.  But he forbids misusing that brain to deny reality by calling good evil and evil good.

The day before his election as pope, Cardinal Ratzinger preached about that third temptation, which has become a cultural phenomenon: "Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church is often labeled as fundamentalism.  Whereas relativism, that is, letting oneself be 'tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine,' seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times.  We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires."

That relativism is dictatorial because it subordinates reality to the pampered self.  Thus in our universities, which are supposed to be centers for learning the truth, ideology tramples reality.  Often these days, speakers who contradict others' egos are shouted down and even physically attacked.

". . . the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32).  Denial of objective truth is slavery to the ego, Adam's fantasy that he could be a god.  But, as Pope Benedict said, "We, however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man.  He is the measure of true humanism.  An 'adult' faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ.  It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth."

This is Meaghen Gonzalez, Editor of CERC. I hope you appreciated this piece. We curate these articles especially for believers like you.

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Acknowledgement

Rutler5smFather George W. Rutler. "The temptations of Christ and ours." From the Pastor (March 12, 2017).

Reprinted with permission from Father George W. Rutler.

The Author

witwisdomrFather George W. Rutler is the pastor of St. Michael's church in New York City.  He has written many books, including: The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler, The Stories of Hymns, Hints of Heaven: The Parables of Christ and What They Mean for You, Principalities and Powers: Spiritual Combat 1942-1943, Cloud of Witnesses — Dead People I Knew When They Were Alive, Coincidentally: Unserious Reflections on Trivial Connections, A Crisis of Saints: Essays on People and Principles, Brightest and Bestand Adam Danced: The Cross and the Seven Deadly Sins.

Copyright © 2017 Father George W. Rutler