Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation
We imagine that it is those who have no real struggle with temptation who blessed, those to whom always choosing the good comes naturally and easily. But James was a realist who knew that we would never by perfect without first persevering. The possibility of being complete as a Christian which he mentioned in yesterday's reading would come only after virtue was battle tested.
Our virtue, our commitment to choose the good and reject the bad will be tested. But there are some important things for us to recognize when this happens.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
God does not put us to test out of malice or the desire to make us stumble, or so that only the very strong and very perfect might stand before him. He rather permits the circumstances of the world to test us in order that we might grow in holiness, learning to choose him even when to do so is not easy or when there are other, more superficially appealing options. His goal is to help us learn to love, so that we can have hearts fashioned within us that resemble his own heart. He himself is better than the desires that tempt, lure, and entice us, but unlike them, he will not try to force us to choose him. He will however attempt to persuade us.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
Only truly good things come from God, nothing evil, nor even anything mediocre. And there is nothing truly good that comes ultimately from anywhere else. This is true in the world around us, but it is also true in our hearts. This is key to remember when we face temptation. It is not in the end all or even mostly meant to be about us and our moral striving apart from God's help. And so we need to remember: God has the power to help. God has the desire to help us. If we instead harden our hearts, imagine ourselves as victims, and wonder, 'Why me?' we won't look to God for the strength we need to persist. But we should look in order to see that the Lord has orchestrated the circumstances of our lives precisely because the gift he wants to give is so good and perfect as to be worth what we must endure to receive it.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
The word of truth, the Gospel, resulted in a new birth when we where baptized. But we must continue to rely on the power of grace infused in us then and strengthened at confirmation. We must live from the minds renewed in wisdom and hearts reforged to love that we were given. May we learn to flee from the temptation to fall back into a way of living that relies on ourselves alone.
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
The disciples still thought, even after witnessing miracles, that everything depended on their planning and logistics. Jesus had demonstrated twice to them that he himself was the only loaf they would ever need in their boat, bread that would be multiplied endlessly to feed the spiritual hunger of the entire world. The disciples still needed to be persuaded that Jesus was entirely good so that they could trust him and believe that he wasn't trying to trick them or spite them. He did indeed let them endure difficulties, but it was always so that they could learn to trust themselves less and him more. It is reassuring that even for them this lesson was only learned over time, in relationship with Jesus himself. May Jesus open our hearts to trust him.
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Jesus, born in Bethlehem, the "House of Bread" is enough to satisfy all of our needs, to strengthen us for trial so that we can receive the crown of eternal life with him that he desires to bestow on all of us.
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