“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation…” Matthew 26:41

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our OnlyTrue Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" [Matthew 26:41]

"Watch and pray" was Christ’s exhortation to His Disciples Who found them sleeping while He was praying. Watch and pray is a key to Orthodox Christian spirituality and our constant struggle against wicked temptations. Just as then, today, Christians lack the discipline and strength to keep a vibrant spiritual life. Our spiritual commitment is very weak and superficial. Our Lord Who is All-Knowing says to us, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" [Matthew 26:41]. His Disciples sleep not realizing what was to happen to their Master and God. Since the body and soul are united, the "spirit" is paralyzed by a lethargic body. A "willing" spirit, recognizing the weakness of the "flesh," knows it needs God’s presence and power. Genuine faith is nourished by ardent, vigilant prayer.

Our Lord very patiently and lovingly teaches His Disciples and us, not to be self-confident, but to always be contrite in mind, and to be humble, and to refer all to God. Jesus is disappointed that His Disciples could not stay awake and to pray with Him, but is gentle with them, and does not wake them or rebuke them, but allows them to continue sleeping. "Take your rest, behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners" [Matthew 26:45]. Our Lord does not compel any one of us to do His will even though it is to our spiritual benefit and salvation. He awaits for us to act positively and without coercion or threats from Him.

When we question the importance and frequency of prayer we need to think of our Savior Who prayed unceasingly. If the Lord Himself, the Son of God, feels the need to pray to His Father, who are we not to pray to Him, Who holds our life in His Divine hands? Why would we not seek to be united and be in communion with Him? He clearly warns us of the danger of not remaining watchful and prayerful, He says, "lest you enter into temptation" [Matthew 26:41]. In the Lord’s Prayer we entreat Him and say, "And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one" [Matthew 6:13]. We pray, my friends, not only that our sins be forgiven, but that we not yield to "temptation." Of course, God tempts no one [James 1:13], temptations are from "the evil one," the devil. They are aimed at the soul’s wilful yielding to the sinful passions of the flesh [Romans 7:5]. No one can live without at some time encountering temptation. But to yield to temptation and commit is blameworthy. Thus we pray always that great temptations, tests beyond what we can bear, should not come our way.

According to the holy Apostle Paul, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way to escape, that you may able to bear it" [1 Corinthians 10:13]. To be tempted is to be tested in fundamental areas of faith. As in Mark, the Spirit leads, or "throws," Jesus into "the wilderness" after His baptism to be tested by a struggle with the "devil." "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" [Matthew 4:1]. We who are baptized into Him need not be defeated when temptations come along, like Jesus, we are aided by the Holy Spirit. The "wilderness" is a battleground, a picture of the world, at once the dwelling of demons and a source of Divine tranquility and contemplation. Jesus is tempted with hunger for 40 days, but He does not sin and , therefore, triumphs over temptations.

Another spiritual weapon that the Christian uses to overcome temptation is fasting. Our example par excellence of fasting is our Savior Himself who fasted to overcome temptation, giving us an example of our own power and our limitations. The hunger of the flesh does not control Him, rather He controls His flesh. We too can have control over all the appetites of our flesh if only we engage in prayer and fasting, just like our Lord. "Watch and pray, that you enter no into temptation." When you pray, "Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words" [Matthew 6:7]. Saint John Chrysostom says, "do not make our prayers long, long, I mean, not in time, but in the number and length of the things mentioned. For perseverance indeed in the same requests is our duty: His word being, "continuing always in prayer." Saint Theophylact states: " He did not bid us to be without temptations, for temptations are our crowns. Rather He bids us to pray that we not be swallowed up by temptation and enter into its belly, as into the belly of a wild beast. For he who is overcome by temptation enters into it, that is, is swallowed up by it."

The Orthodox way of strengthening our effort to combat evil temptations, is to practice asceticism. True asceticism is the practice of self-denial (i.e., control of one’s passions and base impulses), for the sake of the Kingdom. Father Staneloe says, "It is the part of spirituality that deals with the rules and efforts that bring man to the first step of the ascent to perfection, to contemplation, and union with Christ." While our salvation depends on the grace of God, asceticism is "the active part of the spiritual life." It is the effort that we must make in cooperation with God’s grace. It is not an option but a central part of responding to His grace so we can be perfected by it. God always leads but we must be willing to follow.

The holy Apostle Paul compares an athletic competition to asceticism when he says, "if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" [2 Timothy 2:5]. Faithful diakonia (ministry) requires obedience to God’s commandments, spiritual discipline, self-denial and struggle. Our example here is the good and conscientious athlete. What is disappointing is the current attitude of wishing instant success in one’s spiritual endeavors, and instant and effortless salvation. Today’s Christian feels entitled and that he/she deserves all God’s blessings without making any effort, struggle, suffering, sacrifice, or work. However, Saint Paul reminds us, "WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING" [Phililppians 2:12]. Because of Christ’s Sacrifice, we are to take hold of what God offers, accepting His grace, and WORKING TOWARD BECOMING MATURE IN CHRIST. Note the cooperation: WE "WORK OUT" OUR "OWN SALVATION", WHILE "IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN" us to do His WILL.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN HIMSELF. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, BUT ALSO FOR THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS" [Philippians 2:3-4].

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George