Alas, The Lord has been put aside a few times already, and I'm about to put it aside again. For Lent, I'm going to be reading Pope Benedict's second Jesus of Nazareth book. Ironically, this was about how far I got through The Lord the last time I picked it up (for class, about 10 years ago).
The most recent break I took from The Lord (other than laziness) was to read an Advent book: Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. It was a short book and one that didn't go into quite as much depth as his first Nazareth book. Even so, our German shepherd's reflections are very profound and even personal. I likened reading the book to sitting down with him and having a cup of coffee, as you would your grandfather or a favorite professor.
Anyway, my last Guardini post for a little while.
Ch. 5: Baptism & Temptation
What stood out to me in the beginning of this chapter was Guardini pointing out the key that unlocks the story of Jesus' baptism. It is an act of incredible humility. Jesus, the divine Son, condescends to our level and abides by our rules--the source of John the Baptist's hesitation. Jesus had no sins to wash away!
We think according to our fallen nature, and can't step inside Jesus' mind to know how He thought as He lived on this earth. One of the greatest temptations for me in the past has been to think of rules as not pertaining to me. Sure, this or that is generally wrong, but not for me in this instance! Jesus would've been perfectly justified (literally) in not getting baptized. And what a lesson in humility He taught us by going through with it!
The second part of the chapter goes into the temptation in the desert. One of the little things Guardini points out is that Jesus doesn't engage in dialogue with the devil. He answers "straight to the core of the test" (pg. 29). It's the only strategy to employ when facing off with the evil one. How often to we get into it with the devil, thinking we're stronger and smarter? Sort of negotiate with him, and think we can entertain the temptation without succumbing?
I thought this final point very insightful, too: reading between the lines of the story. For the 3rd temptation, imagine the draw for Jesus. Again, not that He entertained the temptation or ever sinned. In offering the world to Him, the devil could have been implying: who better to rule the world than You? I mean, really? Power hungry emperors will rise and fall; nations will form and disintegrate. Who would be the literally perfect ruler of the entire world? JESUS!! Like so many other temptations, there's an element of truth in it--and even a good (although flawed) intention. Temporal power was not His aim, however. Jesus had an even greater role to play in humanity.
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