Temptation is not sin. Thoughts and feelings never offend
the Lord. It is hubris, apathy and malevolence that incur his ire.
Women are sexy. They were designed to be sexy. Their
breasts and buttocks were fashioned to allure. Men are right to desire them.
Men are wrong to defile them. The Spirit of the Lord is friendship. A man shall
be a friend unto all women, no matter his desire. His words and actions shall
be friendly.
Many men desire men or even boys. Though unnatural, the
desire is not of itself unfriendly. So long as a man is a friend unto all, and
his actions friendly accordingly, all is well.
Theft and violence are acts of evil, not the evil itself.
The sin is in the hearts of the thieves and assailants. They are unfriendly and
act accordingly.
Fantasies of rape or murder are not unfriendly of
themselves, even if the imagined victims are real people. To mean to do such
things, however, is rape and murder even if never committed.
Jesus was tempted. He yearned to do all evil. He would be
right to indulge, for his victims deserved what he would do to them. He chose
to do otherwise, however, for the sakes of those whom he would otherwise
victimize. He gave his last breath to save them instead, for their sakes. He
proved friendly with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. The Lord of
Spirits, freedom and justice themselves, noticed… and chose him accordingly.
Jesus would be the judge of all for he alone gave his all for everyone.
That pic you used is cool. I am sure they were just making it out to be like Satan or something, but it could have just as easily been a satyr. Oh, it is very clear to me that Jesus wanted to do so many hedonistic things, and Rome would have allowed it. He would have been given so many delightful material allowances. But he was tempted and refused them. What a wonderful man he was. He has the strength to be our King of Kings!
ReplyDeleteHad he indulged, selfishness would become righteousness. To not indulge would be a sin.
DeleteIndeed temptation is never sinful, it's what's in our hearts that matters. If we only abstain from our temptations only because of fear of reckoning we have sinned, only to abstain for the sake of others is friendly. Friendship and Compassion should be the guide in all men's hearts. Fantasies are never sinful, indulgence however is.
ReplyDeletePERFECTLY said, my friend! "Only to abstain for the sake of others is friendly" was the line that put prudes and libertines alike to shame.
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