The Essence of Temptation

30.12.2023

Today’s meditation focused on Matthew 2:13-23.
Among other interesting themes, it addressed temptation.

For several consecutive days during meditation, a plate of mandarins has appeared before me on the table. From time to time, the thought crosses my mind: “Should I eat one right now?” And each time I dismiss it, striving not to be distracted.

So today, I glanced at the plate and returned to my meditation until I reached the moment when Joseph, upon learning that the land is ruled by Herod’s son, questions the angel’s instruction and decides not to go to Israel. In that moment, he experiences temptation in the form of fear, based on the fact that he places his own judgments above the clearly expressed will of God and succumbs to them. Ultimately, the angel has to correct him.

At that moment, I looked at the mandarins and pondered what temptation truly is, what its nature is, and how it might have manifested in the “normal state” of the first humans before original sin:

“So, what is happening right now? I am meditating, my gaze falls on the mandarins, and I feel the desire to eat one. Therefore, if at this moment I follow the desire of my body, I will be distracted from meditation, lose my concentration, and miss Your presence and possibly important moments that could greatly influence my future life. If I satisfy my fleeting desire, perhaps other desires will follow… It seems all too obvious, yet it doesn’t become clearer).

“Alright, how does this look from the perspective of relying on Your Will and on reality, rather than on assumptions from my selfishness?.. The reality is that I am meditating now and have dedicated myself entirely to You for this time…”

My strained efforts to gain some understanding were interrupted by His image with a sly smile)). With the kind of expression one has when observing someone’s futile efforts, clearly leading to a dead end. As if to say, “Aha, excellent reflections). Come on, keep trying until you finally realise you’re going the wrong way)”.

“Am I really going completely the wrong way?.. Yes, I am!
Intention! Exactly! Thank you!) It’s all about intention! The same action in the same circumstances can be a temptation leading to sin, or an act fully aligned with Your will, working for Your glory!
It’s incredibly simple. In one case, I might eat a mandarin based on my bodily desire, and I would be distracted, ruining my meditation. In another case, I could eat it, for instance, with the intention of satisfying the body’s need so that it no longer distracts me, allowing for greater concentration on You. And while I peel and eat it, the desire will recede, and I will consciously remain more and more in thought with You.”

I recalled a story I had heard long ago about two students who asked their teacher about smoking and meditation. One asked if he could smoke during meditation and received a reprimand for such a question. The other asked if he could meditate while smoking and, receiving an affirmative answer, continued to smoke)). And although smoking is not the best example, this story is certainly about intention).
I laughed, took a mandarin, began to peel it, and enjoyed eating it slice by slice.

“So, with what intention am I eating this mandarin now?) To affirm what I have learned and share the joy of the moment with You. Will You join me?))”

Playing with thoughts, I found no example of temptation where the simple question “With what intention am I about to do this?” and an honest answer to it would not clarify everything.
Perhaps the freedom of the first humans before original sin, like our current freedom, lay in the freedom of intention. The difference is that their intentions were perfectly synchronised with the will of God and with the surrounding reality. During the first sin, the intention was directed against His will.

It remains a trivial matter)) – to find a way to discipline the mind so that it constantly checks with what intention I am acting). How to find it, and does such a way even exist?..