Lessons From the Doubting Thomas

It's amazing how one moment in history or one exchange of words between two people and a person is labeled forever. Everyone of us knows that we all have our bad days, our bad moments as well as those stunning moments where we just don't know how to respond to a specific situation. In most cases the people who have labeled us have seen the way we usually act so while we expect them to be surprised we should also assume that they would be the first to offer us the benefit of the doubt.

Then there are those whose actions are misinterpreted but still, once they are labeled then such an identity sticks with them. In most cases many see them in a negative light because the person doesn't just accept what they are told but ask questions to better understand what is going on around them. It should be easy for us to understand that we all see things a certain way and/or that some people need more time to understand the situation around them. Still, when we don't want to take the time to address such concerns we find it easier to label the person who doesn't go along with the rest of us. 

This exists in all communities including the Church and as we will see it goes back to the very beginning, specifically when it comes to St. Thomas who is also known as Doubting Thomas. However, it is my hope that after this discussion we will remove all negatives from the word Doubting in this case and realize that his doubts were based on his desire to have a truly authentic faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 


The Gospels 

Thomas is only cited in the Synoptic Gospels when the authors list the names of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19 & Luke 6:14-16). This alone is very important because of the role that the apostles played in comparison to just the regular disciples of Jesus. According to John McKenzie, the word apostle is defined as to send forth and The Twelve that Jesus chose were, His constant companions and given full instruction of the truths which He proclaims.

The Gospel of John though gives us a better glimpse of Thomas the follower of Jesus. During the Raising of Lazarus we see Thomas' zeal for his Master to the point where he is willing to accept death if he were to accompany Jesus back to Judea, which is there the Jews had threatened to stone Him (John 11:1-8). Thomas' reply according to John 11:16: So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with Him." 

Does this sound like a man who doubted who Jesus was? He is openly saying that he will go and die with Jesus not because of what Jesus was about to do but because of who Jesus is. Thomas is already a man of deep faith. In the words of C. Bernard Ruffin: It was only Thomas who showed no reluctance to go. It was he who rallied the other apostles. 

Of course the moment in question that gave the apostle the Doubting label is from John 20:24-29. At the beginning of this passage it said that Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus had appeared to them. His response to them in verse 25 after they had informed that they had seen the Lord was: Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in  the nail marks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. 

Imagine the complexity of emotions that Thomas must have been feeling at that moment. First, he and the other apostles are already frightened because they are in hiding (John 20:19). Then he hears that the other apostles have seen the Risen Lord? There certainly must have been a sense of joy that he didn't expect at that moment but it shouldn't surprise us if he also felt a certain amount of anger considering the fact that the last time he and the other apostles were in danger that he was the one who spoke out in terms of his willingness to die with Jesus....and now it is the other apostles who have seen Him again?

Let us also consider the following points:

• Jesus was executed in a most horrific way and Thomas knew of the likelihood of his Master being dead and buried for good, just like all of the other Messianic leaders who were executed before Him. But, if Thomas were to see the wounds that he knew would come from someone that was crucified he would be able to believe in this miracle with a greater faith than when he saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Keep in mind that Thomas was not told about Lazarus coming out of the tomb: he was there and witnessed it with his own eyes! This is why it is fair to consider these words from Ruffin: The incident involved Thomas'  doubting shows him a practical man of common sense who demanded empirical proof.
• Like the other apostles, Thomas was a first century Jew and such people had to see a physical body in order to believe that someone had been raised from the dead.  Of course after Jesus' appearance had convinced the now eleven apostles that He had indeed been raised from the dead the Lord interacted with them in ways that demonstrated it was Him in the flesh, in His glorified body and that it was in fact a human body before them and not a ghost or an hallucination. Even to this day such an idea sounds far fetched, which is why Ruffin said the following about Thomas' condition for believing that Jesus was in fact raised from the dead: Thomas' reaction was eminently reasonable. He knew as well as anybody else that people who were really and truly dead did not come to life again.
• Thomas was an apostle and if that meant that he was supposed to be given full truths from Jesus that he should have a full vision of the Lord as the others had? Therefore, could it be argued that he should also have the right to see the Risen Jesus since the Lord had in fact called him to be in the same role as the other apostles who had already seen the Risen Lord?  Even St. Paul, who was not one of the original twelve but is still regarded as an apostle saw the Risen Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1). In the words of Ruffin: He wanted to have the same experience that his colleagues had in order to prove to himself that the Resurrection was physical and material, rather than intellectual.

When the Lord finally did appear to the apostles again and this time when Thomas was also in their presence He approached Thomas directly and invited him to do exactly what Thomas said he would have to do in order to believe (John 20:27).  The Gospel never says if Thomas in fact did do these things. It simply has Thomas reply with his famous words, My Lord and my God! Would a skeptic be so easily convinced if it was in his nature to question everything around him? Would seeing the actual wounds really convinced such a person that Jesus was in fact raised from the dead or would they at least wonder, even for a brief moment, if there was some way that Jesus could have possibly made Himself appear in this way?

Let me offer a few other observations:

• First, if Thomas was such a skeptic why isn't he portrayed in questioning the things that Jesus did during other moments of His ministry, especially when they were all among those in the crowd who expressed their doubts and/or lack of belief. 
• Second, when Jesus told the apostles prior to their arrival in Bethany that Lazarus had died one would think that Thomas would find good reason to stop the Master and ask how He could bring someone back from the dead. Instead, he continued to focus on the threat that Jesus had already faced and then he stated his willingness to die with Jesus if that was in fact what needed to happen. 
• Finally, Thomas never said that Jesus had obviously failed in His mission following his crucifixion. He simply said that he wanted to see the same evidence as the other apostles so he too could believe. In other words, there is a difference between saying the words I will not believe instead of  I do not believe. In other words, if one looks carefully at John 20:25 Thomas was not convinced that Jesus would fail him, which is why he responded with the words My Lord and my God once he had finally had the same experience as the other apostles.

It's amazing that Thomas has been criticized for his lack of faith for simply wanting to have the same experience as the other apostles when we see in John 20:14 that Mary of Magdala saw the Risen Jesus but did not recognize Him. The same thing happened to seven disciples in John 21:4 and this was after they had already seen Him risen from the dead. We see a similar account in Luke 24:16 but none of these other disciples are criticized for their lack of faith the same way as Thomas.

Consider the words of Jack Zavada in this matter: All of the disciples, except John, deserted Jesus at the cross. They misunderstood and doubted Jesus, but the Apostle Thomas is singled out in the gospels because he put his doubt into words. It is worth noting that Jesus did not scold Thomas for his doubt. Instead of rebuking Thomas, he had compassion for his human struggle with doubt. In fact, Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and see for himself. Jesus understands our battles with doubt and invites us to come near and believe.


The Beginning of the Church 

The book of Acts of the Apostles begins with Jesus continuing to appear before His apostles for 40 days while continuing His instruction about the Kingdom of God. In Acts 1:8 the Lord states: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After that the Lord made His Ascension into heaven and it was time for the apostles to get to work.

Yes, they had seen the Lord raised from the dead. Yes, they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit who would remind them of all that Jesus taught while empowering the apostles with a grace to allow these simple men to share the Good News with everyone that they encountered. This would have to do because only the Holy Spirit could carry such a message in a world that would certainly demand various forms of proof in order to believe many of the claims that would be made by the apostles.

Still, there would be those who would follow them and for the apostles to be proper witnesses of the faith it would include the following from Acts of the Apostles:

• 2:42- Teaching their faith community
• 4:33- Bearing witness to the Resurrection of Jesus
• 4:34-37- Providing for the needs of the less fortunate 
• 5:12- Performed signs & wonders among the people
• 6:2-6- Created the ministry of the Diaconate
• 15:1-29- Called and ruled over the Council of Jerusalem

All of this occurred after facing threats from the same Sanhedrin that arrested Jesus before handing Him over to Pontius Pilate in order to be crucified (Acts 4:1-22). Thomas was a part of this leadership that was obedient to Jesus to the point where Acts 4:33 tells us that they received great favor for their efforts.  


Thomistic Traditions 

Traditions tell us that Thomas took his ministry outside of his native country even though the story of Thomas visiting India is met with skepticism. This is because the earliest claims come from the Acts of Thomas, which was written in the second century. The stories in this account between Thomas and an Indian king named Gundaphor seem to be legendary tales that cause great suspicion among historians.

There were those who even questioned the existence of Gundaphor until 1834 when ancient coins were discovered in the Kabul Valley of Afghanistan that bore the pictures and names of forgotten kings, which included Gundaphor. Later discoveries would soon follow as more coins were found from Bactria to Punjab. Research on these coins dated them from the first century AD.

As the 19th century drew to a close a stone tablet was discovered in ruins near Peshawar that, according to Samuel Hugh Moffett: not only named King Gundaphor, it dated him squarely in the early first century AD, making him a contemporary of the apostle Thomas just as the much maligned Acts of Thomas had described him. Further deciphering of the tablet sets, the inception of Gundaphor's reign in AD 19. He would still have been ruling, therefore, in 45 or 46, very near to the traditional date of the arrival of Thomas to India.

Prior to his supposed time in India Thomas is said to have ministered in Osroene, which was located in Upper Mesopotamia. Thomistic traditions claim that Thomas returned from Osroene to Jerusalem in 49 AD, perhaps for the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29), which is also the time where it was said that the apostle met a Jewish Christian named Abban who was the royal trade commissioner for King Gundaphor.

While the Thomistic traditions remained unsolved we cannot totally dismiss the possibility that Thomas did in fact preach the Gospel in India due to the fact that this was also stated by the early Church Fathers and, as Moffett says: Travel back and forth between India and the Roman Empire was far more commonplace in the first century than some earlier skeptics had once thought possible.  Evaluating both the Thomistic traditions as well as the complex travel routes is quite extensive so I would suggest anyone interested in such things to see pgs. 29-36 in Moffett's The History of Christianity in Asia Volume I. 

There are also varying accounts of Thomas' death but in each case he died a martyr's death. Therefore, let us be reminded that he not only lived the life of a devoted follower of Jesus both before and after he encountered the Risen Lord while also showing his love for the Lord by offering his life for his Christian mission. 



Following Thomas' Lead 

Earlier in this discussion we saw why Thomas approached Jesus' Resurrection the way he did and there is so much we can learn from that in today's world.

First, in regards to a life of faith: prayer is such an important way for us to know our Lord and we are asked in faith to receive all of the graces that He has to offer us. But we cannot forget that part of being a good believer is to take the time to learn more about our faith. There are certainly times when we have to stay the course and be patient in terms of understanding the purpose of the things that happen in our lives. But there are other parts of our faith that require us to use our intellect to better understand such things. As teachers of the faith we have to deliver such truths to our brethren whether it comes from us or another resource that may be better informed on the topic in question. In other words, allow the person who is searching to ask for the evidence that they need in the same way as our apostolic father Thomas did as such insight may also allow them to show the same devotion to our Lord as Thomas did once he received the answers that he needed at that important moment of his life.

Second, today's world is filled with too much information and in many cases that's not a good thing. Although there are some who will ask, what is the source of your story? that is still not happening enough. Meanwhile, we know that there are too many times when a news outlet purposely misleads the public in order to promote their own agenda or political bias. Sadly, too many people still take what was reported as truth and then the war of words begins.

We don't necessarily have to imitate the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates whose Socratic method, according to John Chaffee, used a dynamic approach of questioning and intellectual analysis to draw answers out of people rather than lecture them, but it sure wouldn't hurt considering all of the lies that are being perpetuated in so many ways.

Therefore, don't be afraid to ask questions. It doesn't matter if it's that inquisitive five year old, a customer who wants more detail about a product that is on sale that they are being pressured to purchase or the information that is being shared both on cable news or on the internet. Most importantly, we should also be asking questions when it comes to our faith. Such skepticism is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the person accepts the truth once it is before them, which will in turn bring them peace. As teachers we have to accept the fact that we may never see that moment but we must do all that we can to make sure we either offer the right information to the person asking or at least point them in the right direction.

This is the great lesson from St.Thomas the Apostle. So let us find the answers to our faith that we seek and then once we take them in let us share them with the rest of the world, regardless of the trials and tribulations that we will encounter along the way.   

Prayers to St. Thomas the Apostle: https://statucson.org/prayers-to-st-thomas-the-apostle

Carlos Solorzano 

• BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach  
• Certified Through the Theology of the Body Institute  
• Speaker with Catholic Speakers Organization

 

 

Sources

• New American Bible 
• Moffett, Samuel Hugh. A History of Christianity in Asia Volume I Orbis Book Maryknoll, NY October 2001 (pgs. 29 & 31) 
• Ruffin, C. Bernard. The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division Huntington, IN 1997 (pgs. 121-123, 125 , 128) 
• Chaffee, John. The Philosopher's Way. Thinking Critically About Profound Ideas Upper Saddle River New Jersey 2005 (pgs. 48, 52-53)
• Mckenzie, John L. Dictionary of the Bible MacMillan Publishing Inc. NY 1965 ( pgs. 46-47)
• https://www.learnreligions.com/apostle-known-as-doubting-thomas-701057 
• https://statucson.org/prayers-to-st-thomas-the-apostle

Where Are We in the Crowd?

Many years ago I heard a Presbyterian minister make the point that many in the crowd who called for the life of Jesus were also in the crowd welcoming Him as their King. At first glance, they cried Hosanna as the Lord rode into Jerusalem with Jesus recognizing the need for the crowd to proclaim the truth, even in the midst of those who did not want to hear it (Luke 19: 39-40).  

She reflected on how amazed she was when she realized the number of people who turned on Jesus in less than a week. To go from welcoming Him as the source of their hopes and dreams to crying for His blood as if He were the greatest traitor of all. Further, they were so convinced of what they were demanding that they were willing to take responsibility for it while also putting such blame on later generations (Matthew 27:25). 

How could this happen? Why did this happen? What did the Lord do to cause the people to turn on Him? Or, the biggest question of all, how many in the crowd were sincere in their proclamation of Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest (Matthew 21:9).  

Following the Herd 

Humans are communal beings who were always meant to live with others. While we certainly love our families and at times, peer groups, we have also been taught by some anthropologists that many of our ancestors may have sought out the company of others for the sake of their own survival. We certainly see that in the world today. 

Whether it is a group of friends, teammates on a sports team, classmates, social groups, etc., there is certainly a way for us to find an identity in a group of people. Unfortunately, the social approval that one could experience in such settings may not actually come from people of good character or people who speak the truth. Sadly, this could also come from a church and/or religious groups. One simply needs to recall the actions of Westboro Baptist Church along with the devotion that these people showed when it came to not only speaking their message but also traveling the country to speak such a message.

One could only wonder how such people would react to Jesus had they lived during the time of our Lord. After all, every person who met the Lord was challenged by many of His teachings, which is why so many of them left and returned to their previous way of life (John 6:66). We experience the same thing on a daily basis because each day we are confronted with the choice to live as Jesus did or to reject Him and offer our justifications for abandoning Him along with all that He taught.

When we reject the Lord we are not necessarily yelling, Crucify Him! However, our sins are what put Jesus on the cross so we certainly say it with our actions. There are times we do it because we seek fulfillment in ungodly things while there are other times we do it for the approval of other sinners. Either way, such moments put us among in the crowd of people who called for the Lord's life even though we have some sort of recognition of who He really is.  When it comes to our daily activities it would be when we choose to reject the Christian way of life.

Community of Faith 

The hope from the moment of Jesus' entry in Jerusalem is that people are still the way that God made them, which is good. With that in mind, we must recognize those who not only welcomed our Lord with cheers but also remained faithful to Him. Perhaps some of them were among those in the crowd who asked Pontius Pilate to release him rather than Barabbas. We must also recognize the moments in our lives when we were also faithful to the Lord. 

It happened and it will happen again so with that being said, we can say with certainty that we are all capable of being disciples of Jesus. Further, when we live in that way we are in fact a community of faith and not just members of the crowd seeking an identity. 

Such a community is one filled with love because it is a community that is living in the truth. And what are these truths? It is a community of sinners and when members of this community fall into sin the rest of us lift them up and encourage them to get back on the path of truth. Showing such love to one's neighbor also acknowledges their dignity and in doing that the sinner sees their true worth. Meanwhile, those who lifted up the sinner are allowing the Lord to live through them. 

Think of the love that the sinner feels. Think of the joy that the vessel of the Lord feels from the grace that guided their actions. Feeling the Lord's mercy through one's community. Feeling what it is like to love one's neighbor who needed to feel that love. That would only lead to one response from all, as we cry out in praise to the source of our joy: 

Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  

Carlos Solorzano 

• BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach  
• Certified by the Theology of the Body Institute 
• Instructor of Theology at St. Augustine Catholic High School   

Three Points From The Story of the Woman Caught in Adultery

The story of the Woman Caught in Adultery is one of the best known Gospel stories as it has demonstrated both Jesus' love and intellect. In that alone, we can find great inspiration in how we evangelize others. It has also been used in ways that could be be slightly deceiving in terms of what is expected of us as sinners when it comes to following Jesus. With that in mind, here are some brief reflections on ways we can see this story in a few other ways. 

The Eyes of Jesus 

Jesus looked at the woman for who she really was: a child of God. With Him being the Incarnate God He was going to love her as the Lord loves us all. In doing so He would also know why the woman acted as she did.  Most of the time we sin because we are attempting to medicate some sort of pain. Unfortunately, we seek fulfillment in something other than God's love. In doing that we see right away how unfulfilling this temporary fix is, which only leads us to seek it again and/or to seek fulfillment in another temporary fix.

Jesus' reaction is also a lesson in chastity, which includes the way we see our neighbor regardless of the way they present themselves to us. The Gospel tells us that the woman was caught committing the very act of adultery but it does not tell us how she was presented to Jesus. Was she fully dressed? Was she a very attractive woman? Either way, Jesus loved her the right way and she was obviously not threatened by the way He looked at her. Here was an example of Jesus walking the walk in reference to some of the talk He talked in Matthew 5:27-30. 

If we look closer at this reality we can see the benefit of going through life with chaste eyes. Jesus engaged the woman with love and respect, regardless of the type of life she was living. Meanwhile, look at her response. She was loved and made to feel like a person because that was the way God made her, not because of how she proved herself to others. How different would we see ourselves and treat others if we modeled our interactions in this way?  

The Human Heart 

Jesus did not prevent the people from stoning the woman. He simply suggested that it be done by those without sin. This would also include those who brought the woman before Him, who certainly had a major problem with her if they went as far as seeking her out while she committed the act of adultery. One could only imagine the type of resentment they had towards her and Jesus for that matter for them to engage in such behavior. 

We also notice that Jesus did not categorize the severity of the sin. If He did then perhaps He would have suggested that the woman be stoned by those who were not adulterers. No, the Lord asked everyone to consider their own flaws and perhaps in doing so they also considered the reasons for their sins.  Aside from that, they also had to consider their intentions and if that is the case, imagine if they were also present when Jesus taught on what it means to judge others (Matthew 7:1-5). 

Many of us have encountered those who have committed grave sins. While such moments may have astonished or even scandalized us we still must consider that the sinner before us is a person in need of love who is also worthy of being loved. Jesus showed us the way and while many of us have considered the danger Jesus saved the woman from we rarely consider the risk Jesus took in terms of His own social standing by treating this woman in this way. How often do we risk take the same risks?

   

She Was Still Wrong 

In today's culture many people suggest that Jesus' acceptance of everyone means that He more or less excuses all of our wrongdoing without use taking accountability for our sins. Perhaps that is also why there are sects of Christianity that reject the reality of hell. Such an idea causes some to only see a specific part of Jesus' statement from John 8:11: 

Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore 

The first part of this statement is certainly that of our loving God and demonstrated best in the story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32). However, in today's world there are certainly those who seek to focus on that part alone in a different way to suggest that Jesus accepts us all for parts of our lives that people categorize as wrong behavior. If that is the case are we sinners or are we human beings? If our sins are good then should those sins not harm ourselves and others? Human beings are part of creation that God declared good (Genesis 1:31), not the sin that entered the world after the Fall. That is why Jesus came to save us from our sins and to offer us God's love (John 3:16-17). 

Now, let's look at the rest of Jesus' statement.  He told her that she needed to move on with her life and not do the thing that condemned her among her peers. It was still wrong and she needed to make this change immediately. Of course the Gospel is direct in the way this was said but if we look deeply at the meaning behind the story, Jesus protected her, He loved her and He most likely gave her this directive in an affirming way. Consider the way this story is portrayed in this excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvFXb_GXSMQ 

The woman walked away feeling loved and affirmed. Perhaps she was even loved by a man the right way for the first time in her life. Most importantly, by seeing who Jesus really was, knew that she was loved by God. 

Think of the difference that would make in our lives if we first, saw God's moral law as a way to guide us to the life that He intended for all of us and, if we recognize that God gave us these moral laws because He loves us. Of course, the best way to remind ourselves of this is when we continue to do the Lord's work by loving those deep in the sin the way the Lord loved the woman caught in adultery. 

Carlos Solorzano 

• BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach  
• Certified by the Theology of the Body Institute 
• Instructor of Theology at St. Augustine Catholic High School   

A New Creation in Christ

The Second Reading from this past Sunday spoke of us being a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). This usually leads to  many Evangelical Christians to take the approach of saying that I am Saved! In the West, we tend to have a very black and white way of thinking when it comes to defining moments in our lives. In some ways, that puts an unbelievable amount of pressure on us because we are human beings, which is why many have a theology that uses Christ as a filter between humanity and the Father, almost as if God is playing games with Himself in order to see us the way He wants to see us. No! God sees us the way He made us, which is good (Genesis 1:31). 

Yes, we are sinners but every day and every moment of our lives gives us a chance to start anew. Still, it is amazing how so many of us love stories that emphasize the journey and yet fail to see that in the real world when it comes to the way we live our lives.  Our favorite stories always have great characters who fail and succeed, who learn and grow to become better people, which is why many of us relate to such characters. 

We cannot grow without experiencing the same things. Take for example those who need to go to rehab for substance abuse. Many of them fall off the wagon but failure is usually a part of the process, not the final outcome. The key is that they don't quit. They refuse to give up. They start over and do all that they can to remain sober both through their own efforts as well as through the assistance of their support group. Finally, even when some are successful on such a journey they still see themselves as an addict to remind them that their journey is not over. 

Living a life of holiness is the same thing. Even the greatest saints failed so there is no reason for us to feel a sense of hopelessness. We follow Christ. We sin. We go to Confession, seek amends from those that we may have hurt and try again. Some of our sins are truly a vice that hold on to us in some of the most painful ways but as we move towards Christ He also reaches for us and as long as we are open to His grace there is that chance that we will allow Him to transform us. Therefore, while Christ's death on the cross was a significant moment throughout all of human history our salvation is a process. We are being saved! That is our human story because that is our human reality (Philippians 2:12). After all, do we not also speak of God still fine tuning the universe? Well, we are part of that creation and while we are imperfect we are still good. That is why God is merciful. 

Consider the photo below. It is a beautiful plant that has broke through a hard surface. It's beauty and goodness cannot be contained. Is it in its final state of existence? Hardly. It will grow and become even more beautiful. It exists in the way that God made it and it is beautiful part of this universe that is still growing. 

Such an idea also applies to humanity.  

Carlos Solorzano 

• BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach  
• Certified by the Theology of the Body Institute 
• Instructor of Theology at St. Augustine Catholic High School  

Resources

https://www.simplycatholic.com/are-you-saved/ 

https://lifeteen.com/blog/saved-catholics-response/ 

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/are-you-saved-if-only 

Temptation

 In the New Testament Letter of James the author tells us in Chapter 1 verses 14: ...each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. 

The words from the biblical text put great emphasis on word desire, which is defined as to long, hope or express a wish for (OED). In its simplest form it seems to have no harm as we could assume that such feelings are directed towards the things that a human being needs to survive. However, if we take the words of Shahram Heshmat who says that: Desires are directed toward specific objects (or people) with a promise of gain in pleasure (or relief from discomfort) we can begin to explore the possibility that a person has what some call a wrongly formed conscience?

Immediately there are those who may want to step back and say that we shouldn't be so quick to judge based on the fact people in this world do not necessarily share the same values. The only problem with this relativistic way of thinking is that people do judge because people do believe not only in a sense of right and wrong but in the fact that there is a sense of universal truth. One simply has to spend about 10-15 minutes on Twitter to see how many tweets are offered as critical replies to a statement made by another. Why does this happen? Simply because someone believes that the person that they are responding to is wrong and if that is the case then such statements need to be addressed. Sadly, the most important thing that is missing is the source that has led to the thinking that is being criticized and in some cases it could have been the result of the person giving in to temptation.


The Company We Keep 

What leads us to such desires? A lot of that has to do with the company we keep along with where that company takes us. What are we exposed to? How are these realities explained to us? What are some of the promises that are made to us in order to help direct our decision making? Finally, are the potential consequences fully outlined? Rather than restate what has already been written I suggest we all take a look at this article written by Brain M:

https://theartofcharm.com/art-of-business/entrepreneurship/company-keep-determines/

The truth is, there are very few people that will be able to resist all that can be of influence to them. I would suggest that such people would have come from a very strong family background where they have been raised with a strong sense of right from wrong along with a strong sense of self. Still, it may take even more to resist certain temptations that come one's way.

In the midst of all of my life struggles there is one success story that I am pleased to share and that is my sense of sobriety. I have never touched any type of narcotic and when it came to alcohol I have rarely drank and if I was somewhat inebriated it was minimal with me never being at a point where I was not aware of where I was, what I was doing or that I needed to stop. As of now I may have a glass of wine at home maybe 2-3 times a year with me really having no desire to drink at all.

At a young age my parents gave me a strong awareness of what could happen to someone who took drugs. That and the fact that they had a strong intolerance to what could happen to me in terms of legal consequences should I decide to immerse myself in such behavior. Aside from that, I was a big fan of rock music to the point where I would read as many articles as I could with many of them talking about certain band members who may have been asked to leave their respected groups because of their drug problems. Then, as I got older and started performing in my own rock bands I saw firsthand such behavior both in my fellow band members and other peers to the point where I had to make the decision to distance myself from those who were enslaved to their addictions. I would learn even more about drug abuse when I would see the talent that many of these people lost after destroying their bodies and minds.

Over the years I still took the time to learn more about the effects of drugs so yes, I am able to stand in any room with any group of people and NOT participate in such behavior. I have what I believe is a strong sense of right and wrong along with the knowledge of the dangers that I could face, thus, allowing be to stand before a world of people who are now lobbying governments to change their laws in favor of their worldview. Meanwhile, such social changes will have no impact on my decision making when it comes to this issue because I have long known the reasons why I should never use drugs.

Why do I bring this personal story up? It was one of the moments of my life when I was blessed to have a full knowledge of a topic, to the point where I had enough confidence to stand before a majority without budging. So, imagine how much different we would be if we took the time to learn just as much with the things that tug at our hearts in the most difficult ways.


Lead Us Not Into Temptation  

This line from the Our Father prayer is kind of misleading, which is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following about the way it is stated in its original language: It is difficult to translate the Greek verb used by a single English word: the Greek means, "both do not allow us to enter into temptation" and "do not let us yield to temptation." This extremely important because as the CCC continues: God cannot be tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one; (see also James 1:13) on the contrary, He wants to set us free from evil." (CCC 2846)  

For years students have asked me if God Himself is the one who leads us into temptation. While I could use the statement from both the CCC as well as the Letter of James to say no it is actually not that simple. Take for example the Hebrew word for temptation, which is narah. That word is defined as to try or to test and frankly, we simply have to look to one of the most famous biblical stories in the Old Testament to see this acted out: The Testing of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19). Even though this story focuses on Abraham proving his faith to God he was still tested by God and in doing so he risked giving in to the temptation to run away in order to save his son's life. However, what did Abraham know about God at this point that led him to have enough trust in God to go through with the command to sacrifice his son Isaac without knowing that the Lord's messenger would come to stop him from killing his son?

The most important thing would be to know why God has given us His Commandments. First of all, the creator of the universe is also the designer of the reality in which we live so who better to know what is best for us? Second, we have first the Mosaic Law, which tells us what to do and then the teachings of Jesus that address the heart of the matter but God did not stop there. As Jesus said in John 16:4-11: I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to the One who sent Me....it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He comes He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation, sin. 

First off, in the coming of the Holy Spirit we see a full revelation of the Trinitarian God. Second, while opponents of God's will do all that they can to stop the truth from being revealed it has failed to do so from and will continue to do so. That is because no law, no movement, no threat can extinguish the truth. As Jesus said in John 16:13-14: But when He comes the Spirit of truth, He will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears , and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 

The Spirit of God lives in those who accept the truth and that is why the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. What kind of courage does it take stand at death's door and refuse to conform to a lie? Second, what is the source of that courage? It is not something that only lives within the person facing such a threat. It is also the grace that comes from the Holy Spirit that guides this person.


Avoiding Temptation 

One of the teachings of chastity is that it helps us see through the false messages that our culture tries to sell when it comes to our sexuality. In the words of Christopher West when speaking on the issue of lustful desire he says: If we surrender our lustful desires (and other sins) to Christ, He can transform them by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Catechism proclaims that in the Sermon on the Mount "the Spirit of the Lord gives new form to our desires, those inner movements that animate our lives. Jesus teaches us this new life by His words; he teaches us to ask for it by prayer. the rightness of our life in Him will depend on the rightness of our prayer." 

That is why we should realize that the big question is what should we do when faced with these moments when we are being tempted? In the words of the CCC 2848: "Lead us not into temptation" implies a decision of the heart; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also....No one can serve two masters. 

Of course in the case of the true Master we know that it is not just about what we give to Him. According to 2 Peter 1:3: His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and power. Through these, He has bestowed on us precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 

In other words, just as what was said to our first parents in the Garden (Genesis 1:28-30), God will give us everything we need and according the words of 2 Peter, even the divine nature needed to resist temptation. That of course can only be done through prayer. From the CCC 2849: Such a battle and such a victory become possible only through prayer. It is by His prayer that Jesus vanquishes the tempter, both at the outset of His public mission and in the ultimate struggle of His agony.

Yes, through that prayer we can be like Jesus and send away our tempter but we have to look at it for what it is. It is a struggle. There are moments when we will fail. We have to take these struggles to prayer and ask our Heavenly Father to give us an understanding as to why His will is the way for all of us. Then we must make the commitment to live in that way and to allow these graces to change us. We must also have the courage to stand before the tempter and proclaim that we will only worship God and God alone, regardless of how these temptations are presented to us. Consider this theatrical presentation of the Temptation of Our Lord:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ova6mIIZPto


Finally, we should not look at temptation as something without value. As my high school theology teacher used to tell us, without sin we would not know what is good. Consider these words from the CCC 2847: The Holy Spirit makes us discern between trials, which are necessary for the growth of the inner man, and temptation, which leads to sin and death. We must also discern between being tempted and consenting to temptation. Finally, discernment unmasks the lie of temptation, whose object appears to be good, a "delight to the eyes" and desirable, when in reality its fruit is death (see also Proverbs 16:25).

If we deal with the temptation the right way we will learn the why behind God's law. We will see that God has commanded such things of us because He loves us and wants us spare us from the pain that we will endure should we give in to temptation. By doing so we can experience what our Lord says in Luke 17:21: For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you. 

Yes, God is with us but while He seeks to walk with us the tempter is, as stated in 1 Peter 5:8: prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That means that while the Kingdom of God is among us that the reality of hell is also right before us....and we can get a taste of that in the same way that we can feel the love and grace of God. As stated in Sirach 15:14-17: When God, in the beginning, created man, He made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments; is it loyalty to do His will. There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose , stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, whichever he choose shall be given him. 

God gives us the freedom to make our own choices and will honor whatever comes out of these choices. However, if we choose Him then He will give us the things that we need to live as His children. That is why it says in James 1:12: Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that He promised to those who love Him. 

 

Carlos Solorzano 

• BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach  
• Certified by the Theology of the Body Institute 
• Instructor of Theology at St. Augustine Catholic High School 
  

 

 

Sources 

• New American Bible 
• Catechism of the Catholic Church 2846-2849
• West, Christopher. Theology of the Body Explained Pauline Books & Media 2007 
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201610/5-elements-desire-formation
• https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/life-and-family/abstinence-and-chastity/10-12-reasons-to-be-chaste 
• https://theartofcharm.com/entrepreneurship/company-keep-determines/