The Temptation on the Mountain — Part 3
Lecture by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III — Summary and Spiritual
Main idea
The lecture addresses Christ’s temptation by the devil on the mountain, explaining that the devil offered Christ an earthly kingship and fleeting glory as an easy way to accomplish the mission, but Christ refused because His kingdom is not of this world. The devil tempts with false promises, he takes more than he gives and always demands a price, therefore one must not accept what comes from his hand.
Spiritual and educational dimension
- Christ wants goodness to be internal, arising from love and free choice, not the result of command or imposed authority.
- The devil’s deceit relies on false and temporary temptations, and the believer is called to reject them in word and deed.
- Christ’s command “Go, Satan” is a practical model for us to cut off every influence of the devil; this phrase must be said by a pure heart seriously, not mere outward words.
- God sometimes prevents temptations from reaching us to keep us from despair, and sometimes allows limited trials to humble us and awaken our need for grace, but He does not permit trials beyond our strength.
Practical points for spiritual upbringing
- Do not accept conditioned goods from the devil, even if they seem attractive.
- Learn to reject the devil strongly (heart and tongue), and be “closed” to God so that the devil finds no inner point of attraction.
- Baptism is the beginning of the struggle: we renounce the devil and reject his works sincerely, and the mother is responsible to teach this to her child earnestly.
- Having dread (awe) before demons appears in the behavior of a heart that refuses sin, not in displays or empty words.
Spiritual conclusion
Christ is truly a king but a spiritual king realized on the cross: His kingdom is internal, ruling the heart, emotions, time, and temperaments. Our calling is to walk in the rejection of every false temptation and ask for God’s help and grace to live a true spiritual kingdom in our hearts.
Rejecting kingship
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