Temptations in the Desert and the Highest Good

Vocabulary flashcards covering the theological reflections on the temptations of Jesus in the desert, substitutes for God, and identifying the highest good.

Bronze serpent

A desert figure referenced from biblical tradition where those who looked at it were cured.

The Great Questions

Fundamental questions regarding who we are, where we are going, the purpose of life, eternal life, and who God is, from which people often distract and divert themselves.

The desert

The place where diversions and distractions are set aside so that one can come to terms with the great issues and questions.

Three classical substitutes for God

Three things faced by Jesus in the desert that can end up reigning in a person's soul as the ultimate good.

First great temptation

The temptation to make the satisfaction of sensual desire the highest good in one's life.

The desert floor

A level of spiritual existence focused merely on sensual satisfaction, which one must move beyond rather than getting stuck in.

Bread alone

A reference to sensual satisfaction and bodily needs that, while necessary for embodied human beings, do not represent the whole story of human life.

Word that comes from the mouth of God

The spiritual truth by which human beings ultimately live, extending beyond bread and sensual satisfaction alone.

Power

A quality that God possesses and which can effect positive change, but causes spiritual life to fall apart and leads to nefarious use if treated as the highest good.