I decided I’d read the Bible a few years ago. I've lived a fairly secular adult life, still do I suppose, but it started to feel like a mistake not to read such a culturally significant book.
I enjoyed Genesis more than expected, but by the time I got to Leviticus, man-o-man... I admit I just couldn’t keep reading anymore. It took a couple years but eventually I decided to try again and, that second time, I actually finished the whole book. Old to new, all the way through! I’m not sure how I feel about much of the book, but I’ve gotta admit, I love the Gospels. I’ve become fascinated by them. The truth is, they've troubled me too because I recognize the beauty of the Gospel has been replaced by modern desires to satisfy and hoard material needs, to empirically prove faith, and to establish political power in our world. The exact same things that Christ was tempted with and rejected in the wilderness.
I was raised with religion, even went to a Christian elementary school for a few years that had regular Bible study. I never really liked that much though, and I never really liked going to church very much either. In middle school I began having many questions, and by the end of high school I was pretty much done with it all… I didn’t understand Jesus for a long time.
Or maybe I should say: I couldn’t understand many Christian priorities. But then I’m not a judgmental, damnation, or hellfire kind of a guy. Not even a little bit. I realized a long time ago heaven and hell are right here right now, and we make them ourselves. You can either choose love or fear, isn’t that what “they” say? Anyway...
When I think of Jesus, I think of the beatitudes. I think of Jesus forgiving his murderers while they were murdering him. I think of love your neighbor and welcoming the stranger. I think of feeding the hungry and healing the sick. And I'm ashamed because these things seem so incompatible with this modern world we've all helped build for ourselves.
Now-a-days, I think I understand Jesus pretty well, and I feel that Jesus was teaching about how to live in the here and now. How to be a good human being living in this world.
Temptation in the Wilderness is a story of power. Or, rather, the rejection of power. Power over nature and the animal body, power over the angels, power over the world. Temptations of power and abandoning our true human potential for comfort and personal glory. The effect of selfish power seems to be visible everywhere ya look these days.
There are many different ways to gain power I expect, but I’ve been thinking a lot about two different types: The first and most evident is a material physical power, achieved primarily through force. It's the boot on the neck of the vulnerable. The second is a more subtle spiritual power, which I see embodied in Christ, and seems to come from living connection and faith. I like to think I’m much more interested in connection and beauty than power. More interested in truth. Which is strange to even say... is there anything more powerful than beauty? Than truth?
“What is truth?”
Jesus was tempted with worldly power, which he rejected, choosing instead a life of service, teaching, and a dedication to the kingdom of heaven, which he said can be found among and within you. If you are seeking external power, especially power over others, maybe try keeping Christ’s example in mind. At the very least, you should question and be very aware of your motivations, and if they're not aligned with the greater good please abandon you quest while we're ahead. Here is another example of what Jesus had to say about the powerful of his time:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
I’ve seen evil moving through the world. I’ve seen it slink into my personal life a time or two, and it’s always troubled and baffled me. Like everybody else, I’ve watched evil move through finance, government, religion, politics, business, infotainment... People making that devil’s bargain, bowing and scraping for power, too often at the expense of everyone else.
It’s hard to know what has true value these days. I’ve been thinking a lot about that these last few years as well. Exactly what does have value these days? Do people see any value in Creation? In the humanities and culture? In other human beings? In themselves? Do we even recognize the value in being human? I suppose this is why I have been so drawn to Christ's example. Because to me, he seems like the ultimate humanitarian, seeing ultimate value in all people.
Up until maybe ten years ago I didn't understand what people meant when they'd talk about faith either. It made no sense to me.. then one day it dawned on me, that is how I've tried to live my whole life, through faith: A belief that all life has purpose, that my choices and actions can bring good into the world, that a creative life well lived has value... even when there is no objective proof.
This seems like a good time to insert a poem by St Teresa of Ávila:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
I’ll end this post with a prayer, which is new for me: May we learn to forgive each other. May we learn to love each other. May we become a blessing in this world. May we all do better, especially me.
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I created the Temptation in the Wilderness illustrations simply because I wanted to share them and this story with you, gentle reader. I hope you enjoyed watching the video at the top of this post, hearing the short story, and seeing the artwork.
If you want to support my work I've also made Temptation in the Wilderness into a short book as well, which you can purchase through the following link: Thank you so much!
If you're not able to do that right now, please consider sharing my Temptation in the Wilderness YouTube video and/or this webpage.
God bless!
