Today’s sermon was centered on the “Temptation of Christ”: Jesus’s journey through a desert facing the temptation of the devil. Surprisingly, in fact, this was a test from the Holy Spirit. 

Our pastor told us: God knows us well. But he added. So does the devil. The sermon continued lecturing about the devil’s temptation to rain bread to Jesus as he was fasting for 40 days. This symbolizes how us humans often face temptation in different forms, which leads to a simplified life. The sermon reminded us not to live solely for earthly possessions but to feed on God’s words, as the devil symbolizes desires and worldly possessions, while bread symbolizes material wealth. We should not be consumed by the materialistic values of this world but feast on God’s teachings.

However, being tested, trialed, and tempted for these earthly, human materials seemed inevitable and so prevalent at our time. This made me question: Why do I stand to be religious despite human success? This made me wonder what we all are striving for in life. Our goals. Why are we pursuing a good education, wealth, or professional success, and for what purpose? Is it for personal gain or intellectualism? Does this replace God’s position with material possessions?

In my interpretation, the reason why us humans do not live only on earthly materials is due to our strive for our ‘higher selves.’ We seek divinity, acknowledging that we are more than mere vessels for lust and earthly desires. We strive for spiritual and intellectual growth, which sets us apart as humans to other living creatures. The pastor further illustrated this with a real-life example of YouTube, where the world suggests that we present ourselves well to gain views, money, and fame. This connects to the devil’s temptation of Jesus, offering him the whole world in exchange for submission. We are called to resist the allure of fame and money, which symbolize earthly values, much like Jesus did.

My conclusion became that: it was for higher value. Were not just puppets of our desires. We are more valuable. From the faith God gave us and when we follow the path of glory God gave us, although it may not be as comfortable as the path the devil has set us, but it is when we walk on that glorious path we become truly fulfilled, in the faith of accomplishing our mission.

However, it made me ponder once more. Is this pursuit of greatness and success for God also a form of greed that hinders our spiritual connection with God? Is it not my self pleasure of intellectual superiority and arrogance? Am I not doing it just for the sake to make myself feel good and out of guilt? Through this sermon I realized the importance of self- discipline, humility and selflessness. We should avoid seeking value in divinity for our intellectual and spiritual prowess, but focus on dispersing God’s words.

After the sermon, during the class meeting, a real-life opportunity to apply these lessons arose. When it was time to give donations, I had only brought 10,000 won ($10) instead of my usual $1. I hesitated for a moment, as I brought this for lunch money to eat with my friends after the class meeting. But I felt a strong conviction that if I didn’t give this 10,000 won now, I might never change. I swiftly placed it in the donation box, surprising my friends, who asked if I was serious. This experience made me realize that understanding a lesson in words alone is insufficient. Something Nietzche said in his book, came to my mind. That professors were like mirrors that regurgitate facts. They perhaps did learn what higher education and virtue are but only understand it by head and never act. It made me reflect on my past, how I understand these teachings by head, but never really acted upon to change my habits and live up for my words. This made me think that if I were to, I would want to become a professor who really captivates the students, really engages in what I say and bring it into reality.