Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James echoes the Psalms at the begins this passage; “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers (Ps. 1:1).” As in the Beatitudes in Matthew (Mt. 5:3-10), we will be blessed in this life if we avoid the vices that can lead us astray, and God will bestow joy and honor upon us in our resurrected life if we persevere. We should never blame God for our trials because temptation originates from our own internal desires not an external influence. When we give full consent of our will to temptation, it leads to sin and death. The Psalms tell us, “Consider how one conceives iniquity; is pregnant with mischief, and gives birth to deception. He digs a hole and bores it deep, but he falls into the pit he has made (Ps. 7:15-16).” Every good and perfect gift is from our eternal and unchanging God. Therefore, gifts from God never diminish. The divine will that gave birth to mankind is contrasted with man’s desires that give birth to sin.
Lord God of all creation, you created mankind perfectly in your image with free will, but our selfish desires led us to disobey your will and suffer death. Through your great mercy and love you sent your only begotten Son to show us the way back to the garden of Eden and he willingly give his Godly life that we may be reconciled with you. We lift our hearts to you in prayers of thanksgiving and ask that you bestow the light of your grace upon us to lead us to eternal life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
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