Alexandr Korol

‘...Why do you hesitate and fear to receive Jesus? He is my enemy and yours. I tempted Him, and I caused the elders of the Jews to slander and rage against Him.’” You see what an interesting moment this is — how the devil even made the elders of the Jews slander and rage against him. Just imagine how powerful and malicious this dark force is, how much control it has — that it can turn all kings, rulers, and religious leaders against someone who is nearly awakened. I phrase it as “nearly awakened,” because he hasn’t fully awakened yet — and in fact, this is a major focus in my book right now. But that “nearly awakened” state is when you’ve walked the entire path, and the final, most difficult trial is Mara. Just imagine how strong she is — that beyond trying to plant doubt or false thoughts, assumptions, reactions, or conclusions in the nearly awakened one, she also tries to provoke emotional reactions. Maybe she tries to make him feel offended, or angry, or defensive, or argumentative — or even to use something not for good, but selfishly. And likewise, imagine that during the trial by Mara, the entire environment around the nearly awakened one turns against him. That’s exactly what I’ve been going through these past two months — January and February. It’s as if the devil entered everyone around me, and they all tried in every possible way to disturb my peace. Not just to disturb it, but to push me — to test the limits of my patience. But the way it’s strengthened me... or maybe it’s already fully tempered me. I don’t know how many more trials may still come, or maybe they’re already over — I can’t say right now. At this moment, I simply don’t know.

“According to Luke, after the temptation in the wilderness, the Devil left Jesus Christ ‘until an opportune time’ (Luke 4:13), as later he began to tempt him again — through the Jewish people and even through his own disciples, the apostles — plotting various schemes. The evangelist Mark states that in the wilderness Jesus ‘was with the wild beasts’ (Mark 1:13) — this is a reference to Christ (the new Adam) being surrounded by beasts that did not dare to harm him, just like the old Adam in Paradise. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that ‘Jesus is the new Adam, who remained faithful where the first Adam gave in to temptation.’