The following in an excerpt from “Eros of Orthodoxy,” translated by Fr. Nicholas Palis and written by Mr. Pantelis Paschou.
The matter of temptations and the war that the Christian has against them, is heavy and somewhat “scholastic” probably for modern man. Not only for religiously indifferent men but even for those who belong to religious societies and anticipate their salvation with some unknown arrogance, by supporting the principles of the association with fanaticism and not coming into relation and contact – “so that they may not be polluted” – with the sinful people of their parish or any other organization. How much have we really become like the irrational beast and have become so similar to them that we end up not realizing the traps of satan, not seeing the apparent temptations, which may -when we use them as they should – become salutary lamps on our spiritual matters, to see how distant we are from perfection. From the time we left Paradise with the original sin, the waters that our raft sails upon have become turbid. Strong winds pull us away from the land of promise. We have become slaves to our fleshly passions and the temptations hold us as a toy in their impure hands. We set off often for the blessed land of purity, the Eden of Paradise but we always remain prisoners, on the opposite bank of the river from Babylon and we don’t cry, but we dig up the mud that creates the boggy waters. We were not “kneaded” with the leaven of sincerity but with the leaven of wickedness. The blood of God did not sprinkle our hearts to the inner depths. We did not put on the new man because we did not remove the old one that is constantly corrupted by deceptive desires. We did not wear the image of the heavenly, to become “co-formed” with this gloryl. We do not worship God “in spirit and truth,” because the law of sin yet reigns in us. We did not wear the armor of light because we wear the weapons and the arrows – the works – of darkness. We have seen no Transfiguration and renewal of the mind,” since we are de-formed with the present age -the deceiver – and our mind is bonded to vanity. The mystery of the cross did not leave the spiritual stigmata upon us, because we are wrapped by sinful passions and desires. Neither can we say we are a pure Temple of God and dwelling place of the all-holy Spirit, since we are a shapeless temple of various idols. The divine eros and spiritual love of the Bride are far from our spirit. Peace and sanctification are not the known and beloved states of our hearts. And instead of soaking our bed each night, dampening our mattress with tears, we wear the modern garb of indifference not seeing the temptations of sin that we bear as an unavoidable state, and the winds of disbelief and contemporary idolatry, which choke our miserable soul. But let us now address the matter of temptations. The “stigma” of our journey has emerged quite enough.
“Temptations,” according to the Holy Fathers, “are the “unexpected” or the “conventional affliction” (Abba Mark the Ascetic). This is the involuntary temptation. Temptation, however, also is the voluntary disposition of the soul towards the passions of the body that have great power after the original sin. We have, in other words, involuntary and voluntary temptations. And while the voluntary temptations bring pleasure to the flesh, but pain to the soul, the involuntary ones take out the pleasures from our flesh, and chase pain away from our soul. St. Maximus the Confessor epigrammatically says this. The voluntary temptations are fathers of the sensorial pleasure of the body and bearers of the soul’s sadness. The soul is saddened only when the sin is committed while the involuntary temptations are fathers of spiritual pleasure and bearers of bodily sadness. The voluntary temptation is in accord with our opinion, and the pleasure that it brings us comes voluntarily while the involuntary and unexpected temptation brings us pains without our will. Both, of course, bring sadness, the one to our soul and the other to our body. So man comes into contact with temptation in two manners, the pleasurable and the painful. The first is voluntary, the second involuntary. The pleasurable one is the father of sin. For this reason, Christ told us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer” “And lead us not into temptation”. And in another place again: “Be vigilant and pray, that you do not enter into temptation”. The painful way with unexpected pain comes as a punisher of sin and chastises our sin-loving disposition, as St. Maximus indicates. On these involuntary temptations James the brother of God said these words: “Count it all joy my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Steadfastness produces trial. And let trial have it’s full effect” (James 1:2-3). (There is a discrepancy between the passage in “Eros of Orthodoxy” and both the Greek and English Bible). However, we must not forget that Satan tries to govern us with both the one and the other temptation with all his slyness and foulness. With the pleasurable one he throws us into the pleasures of the body and attempts to break us away by force from the path of God. With the painful one, he comes with 1,002 sophistries, and after he weakens our body with the pains and afflictions and throws our soul into the deep pit of despondency he then urges our thought to curse God with words and deeds, as he did to Job the much-suffering. But Job, although an old man, withstood and did not let an evil word about God come out of his mouth. Thus, the road which opens up for the Christian struggler is this: to avoid the pleasurable temptations like the very young – 17 year old Joseph – with the adulterous wife of Potiphar, and patiently accept the painful temptations which may be slaps of God’s love according to the Scripture which says: “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by Him, before the Lord disciplines those who he loves and chastises every son whom he receives”. (Hebrews 12:5). And for the Christian who is tempted with pains, to see, that with this pain, God lovingly caresses him, whom he is pleased to visit in this manner. Thus, he can bear the temptation.
There are some Christians who do not consider the peril of temptation and are in great danger with an abnormal superficiality. They are even proud that they are above temptations. And they enter into the slippery ground of temptations, desiring to live their life “dangerously”. It is for these that the Scripture says, “He who loves danger becomes lost in this”. (The Wisdom of Seirach: 3:26). Really, as if one can put lit charcoals in his bosom and not burn his garments? Or can one walk over fire and not burn his legs? (Proverbs 6:27-28) In these circumstances we must listen to the word of God: “As from the face of a snake, flee sins, for if you approach, it shall be shown to you. “Lion’s teeth are her teeth, carrying off the souls of men”. (The Wisdom of Seirach 21:2-3) And this form of temptations must be avoided with patience and petitioning according to the word of Abba Mark the Ascetic and with the constant memory of death. Because while pain is the death of pleasure, pleasure is the mother of death and if we zealously beg God to deliver us from the pleasurable temptation He will hear us. He Himself said: “Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and He who seeks finds and it shall be opened to him who knocks”. (Matthew 7:708) And furthermore: “Without Me, you are able to do nothing”. (John 15:5).
0 Comments