Temptation.
I see the three temptations as the primal and universal temptations that all humans must face before they dare take on any kind of power—as Jesus is about to do…. But let me point out something we almost always fail to notice. We can only be tempted to something that is good on some level, partially good, or good for some, or just good for us and not for others.
~ Richard Rohr
rooted, 7.
Today’s post is a timely excerpt from Jerome’s book Gravitas: The Monastic Rhythms of Healthy Leadership (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2020), 16-17.
Even Jesus had to earn his spiritual authority. Remember? He laid aside the divine power he carried in heaven to enter earth (Philippians 2:6-8). Now, commissioned by Father and Spirit in a river baptism, he is sent immediately into the proving ground of the desert. If anyone should get a free pass on gravitas, I think it would be Jesus… but even here, the roots must go down in the epicenter of the storm. And a fierce storm it was. Weakened physically from lack of food and water, Jesus faced three temptations that all leaders must face. See if you recognize them.
The spiritual writer Henri Nouwen describes these three with artful precision: the temptation to be relevant (turning stones into bread), the temptation to be spectacular (leaping off the Temple), and the temptation to be powerful (taking control of human wealth and rule).1
What’s so wrong with being relevant or powerful… or even spectacular? On the face of it, nothing. But underneath the surface, something fundamental is being established: the source of Jesus’ gravitas. Even the Son of God had to relinquish his human authority in order to participate in the divine life—as do we (2 Pet 1:3-4).
We will return to this scene again, but until we, too, pass these tests as leaders, we will be spiritually untrustworthy, attempting to do good things with fatally flawed motivations. Yes, there is a cost for spiritual authority, but the return on investment is huge. Without divine authority, all we’re left with is human power, and even when well-intentioned, that tends to generate collateral damage.
Character that goes the distance doesn’t come by happenstance; it comes by enduring the hard places… for a long time… without quitting. Paul says it this way: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). Men and women of spiritual gravitas have character with deep roots, birthed by persevering through difficulty and marked by profound hope. And, I might add, joy.
So the theory is good, and the biblical model is sound. We want to be this kind of leader. We don’t want to be double-minded, self- doubting; we don’t want to choke in the clutch. We don’t want to be “blown and tossed by the wind,” as James describes those without adequate character (Jas 1:6). We want to be a rock of strength, calm under fire. We want to inspire and equip those who look to us. We want to advance the purposes of God on the earth. But how?
growing your soul
How indeed? This webpage offers 18 resources for deepening your spiritual roots—resources that track with the Gravitas book.
serving our world
Many of these resources above are also outward-oriented! Take a look and pick one to try this week.
takeaway
Deep. Not Wide.