I’ve been re-examining the temptation of Christ. When looked at through this lens of “abiding presence”, egoic self, and body self, the entire temptation of Jesus is about Jesus being tempted to defend himself. When faced with a “need” (Jesus was hungry), he was tempted to look externally for fulfillment, right? But Jesus recognizes, in that moment, when he goes into deeper presence, that in this moment he has everything he needs— “Man does not live on bread alone (or external things), but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (spirit).”
At the same time, this was an attack on his ego-identity: “If you are the son of God, prove it.” Jesus was being tempted to defend or preserve this image or ego. Perhaps it was all of the wonderful things he had been told his whole life about how he would save his people or maybe all the doubts and fears others had had about him. Was he really God’s promised one? If Jesus were still attached to his egoic self, he would have argued or felt the need to prove himself. But in his deeper self, he did not respond. He did not rise to the bait of arguing or attaching his sense of self to these forms. Spirit is formless. It does not need to defend itself. It simply is in this moment, it exists now.
Perhaps this temptation was a “real” historical event during his 40 day fast. Or perhaps, as with so much of Jesus’ story and words, this was a metaphorical challenge. Don’t think Jesus was metaphorical? Think he was literal? Then, cut off your hand or pluck out your eye. He told you to do that if you sin. Don’t think he was metaphorical? Then what do you do with all of the parables? Do you think heaven is actually a coin or a pearl or sheep? Or even the lady looking for the lost coin? The man who found the pearl and gave everything to have it? Do you think God is literally a shepherd? No, these words, stories, and pictures are just forms to point us to the reality of God’s presence (the formless) in us now.
Perhaps, these temptations were his lifetime narratives which he needed to overcome. As Jesus faces his impending death of the body, he reminds his friends that even if they abandon him, he is not alone, because he is connected to God’s presence. “I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world, (these forms) you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33).
The second temptation was about his attachment to self or his body form. This one was specifically a temptation to commit suicide. “If you really are the son of God, throw yourself down (from the highest point of the temple).” After all, the angels will rescue you...
Just as Tolle points out, when our physical form is threatened, presence guides us. We either flee or fight. Jesus releases his attachment to his human body, not by throwing himself to his death, but by recognizing that this body is only a form which is only temporary. He calmly responds with another truth: “It is written- Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” He recognizes the foolishness of this kind of thinking. He responds from a deeper sense of self- the I am that I am, which is not destructive but abundant life. The mental form, which is made up of our thought patterns and personal stories, is very often destructive or foolish.
We, in our own mental prisons of continuous adversity, often interpret this story as a showdown between Jesus and Satan, where Jesus argues with the accuser, and triumphs. Oh, yeah! Stick it to the accuser, Jesus, we cheer. You tell him! Prove that you are right and the accuser is a loser! But Jesus recognizes these traps of self-defense, defense of a false-self or fake identity. He calmly replies to these accusations and desires with a deeper sense of presence. If you re-read these verses, you will see that Jesus is not even adversarial in his responses. He calmly remains true to his deep abiding self, which has no need to defend itself.
Matthew 4:8-11- the final temptation. In the Hebrew language “Satan” means accuser or adversary. And this is exactly what our egoic minds do, they fill themselves up with judgments against us and others, constantly accusing, looking to blame someone for our unhappiness or loneliness or dissatisfaction with our lives, or looking for an enemy. We make enemies or adversaries in our minds of family, friends, loved ones, ourselves, strangers, “others”, or even our circumstances. We want to be “right” all the time. We feel we must prove how right we are at all times. This constant urge to prove ourselves right and, thus, others wrong, turns us against the ones we claim to love.
Or we fight against or rail against our circumstances. My life would be better if.... In our egoic mind, we are never satisfied with what is. We hold on to past grievances, real or fictional, while we tend to project constantly into the future. When I do such-and-such, then I will have arrived. When I get that job, promotion, relationship, car, home, perfect body.... when I think positively enough. Or when I leave here, get that other job, move...when I get out of this relationship. When I’m not sick anymore... Or if only I didn’t have this pain, this suffering, this situation... These are all external forms which we convince ourselves will make all the difference in our happiness.
Temptation number 3 is again about externals. The accuser shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promises Jesus fame, wealth beyond imagination, splendor, power.... You can have all of this, if.... If you will bow down and worship me. If you will make me (your accusing, self-centered mind with all its desires) your god, look at all the power, glory, fame, popularity, love, and admiration, not to mention stuff you can get. Let me run your life and you’ll be happy. You can have everything you think you want or deserve.
Jesus recognizes the futility of this looking for happiness from that inner list of wants and don’t-wants, likes and dislikes, judgments about people, things, or circumstances. These inner mental constructs, if left to rule, would leave him deeply dissatisfied and out of touch with his real self, the inner I am that I am. Because no true fulfillment comes from these external forms: power, position, wealth, fame, possessions, circumstances. Jesus answers this mental, accusing, future-focused self with “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’.” Jesus understood that abundant life is living deeply, in spirit, now. It is not fulfillment in some fictional future wherein I manipulate the universe to give me what I think I want. Practicing presence now, living fully present to this moment, I am free from that vague, unreal world of tomorrow. And I am no longer shackled to the fictional past.
Does that mean the past never happened? No. It just means, it no longer exists. The only time that exists is right now, this moment unfolding now. When Jesus let go of his attachments to self, to past, to future, you can see how liberating it had to be. And he is our example of “dying” to self. There is freedom in this letting go of who I think I am or should be or who others think I should be. I am that I am, now. And in this moment, I have enough. I am enough. God is in me. The eternal, formless one lives in me. That is enough.
The Tao Te Ching says,
“Which is dearer, fame or your life?
Which is greater, your life or possessions?
Which is more painful, gain or loss?
Therefore, we always pay a great price for excessive love
And suffer deep loss for great accumulation.
Knowing what is enough, you will not be humiliated.
Knowing where to stop, you will not be imperiled
And can be long-lasting” (Chapter 44).
Jesus embodies this wisdom in Matthew’s account of the temptation.
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