A famous rabbi once asked three men what they would do if they found a purse full of gold coins.The first man said, “I would return it to its owner if I knew who they were.” The rabbi called him a fool, as he was overly confident in his ability to resist temptation and did not understand his own weaknesses. The second man said, “I would keep the money. Why let a good opportunity slip by?” The rabbi called him a scoundrel, for he had no conscience and saw temptation as a way to enrich himself. The third man said, “I don’t know what I would do. I hope I would do the right thing, but I would need help from God to resist temptation.” The rabbi praised him, for he was wise enough to recognize his own weakness and his need for divine guidance. The rabbi’s lesson was clear: true wisdom comes from understanding our weaknesses and recognizing that we are all prone to temptation.
What is temptation? Temptation refers to the desire or urge to do something, typically something that is considered wrong. It is an attraction to something that might lead to a negative outcome to one’s principles and morals. There are many kinds of temptations.
- Physical Temptation, which includes: Food temptation, Sexual temptation, Substance temptation (usage of drugs and alcohol)
- Emotional Temptation that is Seeking validation, Revenge, Anger, Avoidance of responsibility
- Material Temptation involves a desire for material wealth or possessions; we can call it Greed and consumerism
- Moral or Ethical Temptation means actions such as: Dishonesty, Corruption
- Intellectual Temptation involves desires that lead people to act in ways that compromise their intellectual or ethical standards.
- Spiritual or Religious Temptation involves actions that go against one’s faith, values, or divine commandments
What were the temptations of Jesus?
Some people find it hard to believe that Jesus could be tempted. Jesus had both a divine nature and a human nature. Naturally, he faced temptation.
The first temptation was to turn stones into bread. The word ‘bread’ can refer to material things in general. The devil was telling Jesus to use his special powers to give the people all the material things they could possibly want. But Jesus knew that material things by themselves will never satisfy people. His chief task was to nourish their minds and hearts with the word of God.
The second temptation was to set up a political kingdom, to resort to power rather than love. It’s easier to control people than to love them, easier to dominate people than to become their servant. Jesus didn’t come to rule but to serve. He didn’t cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became the loving servant of all.
The third temptation of Jesus was to do something spectacular, to throw himself off the Temple in order to elicit faith. The idea was attractive. A stunt like that would have made him the talk of Jerusalem. He didn’t want screaming fans. He wanted followers, that is, people who would imitate his way of living.
All three temptations come down to the same thing in the end: to put material things and his own glory first and spiritual things and God second. These are the major temptations of his Church as a whole, and of each of us who are its members. We have to keep our eyes on the One who fought against temptations. Temptations are never over. They return at opportune times.
How can we escape from temptations?
- Identify Triggers, whether it’s stress, boredom, or social situations.
- Create a plan for how to handle situations where you’re likely to face temptation.
- Have clear and motivating goals that align with resisting temptations.
- Strengthen your self-control through small, daily choices.
- Remove or avoid temptations when possible. If there’s something in your home or life that tempts you, get rid of it or create boundaries to avoid exposure.
- Replace negative temptations with something more fulfilling or productive.
- When a temptation strikes, commit to delaying gratification for just 10 minutes.
- Build a network of people who support your goals and can help hold you accountable.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Recognize the mistake, learn from it, and commit to doing better next time.
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and try our best to avoid temptations in our lives.
Fr. Vimal OMI
