The place of temptation in ascesis

[Warren Bensinger]

When I opened the Monachos front page this morning I found this writing:


"Without temptations, God's concern is not perceived, nor is freedom of speech with Him acquired, nor is spiritual wisdom learnt, nor does the love of God become grounded in the soul.
—St Isaac of Syria"

I read it and re-read it and would like to ask your understanding of it. I think I understand the last one, (nor does the love of God become grounded in the soul.) but the others give me wonder. So I ask...

Thanks for thinking.
w

[Moses Anthony]

Dear Warren,

There's some things I understand, and some I've barely an inkling of. If what I post in response doesn't make sense,keep listening to the Fr.'s here and those more learned than myself.

The Apostle Paulwrote to the Church at Rome: What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

We go through life taking many things for granted, and quite shamefully, one of those things is the love and concern of God for each of us. It's such that; sometimes we're taken aback by the way the Holy Spirit reproves us, for the sins which have become as natural to us as breathing. Which if we had not fallen to the temptation, we would hardly have realized.

The prophet said to the Israelite nation, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."(Isaiah 59:1,2) Again, we sin when we fall to temptations. Conversly, it's because of them that we cry out, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, save me." And hearing our cry of repentance, God saves us. As my friend would say, "Clear as mud."

a sinful and unworthy servant

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Warren,

The quotation you mentioned brings to mind one of the apothegms of the desert fathers (precisely which and of whom I cannot at present recall): "Without temptations, no one would be saved."

A stagnant life never moves towards God. In our falls and our struggles to again stand aright, we come a little closer.

INXC, Matthew