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The Ninth Lesson: The Inner Teachings.1053
on the world’s Karma and was subject to its laws. As a God, He would not
have felt the temptation any more than a man would feel the temptation of
the earthworm. But as a man He was subject to the desires and ambitions
that perplex and “devil” the race. And according to the rule that the greater
the mental development the greater the power of such temptation toward
self-aggrandizement (because of the mind being able to see more clearly
the opportunities), Jesus was subjected to a test that would have been
impossible to an ordinary man.
Jesus, knowing full well that He had in His possession the power to
manifest the things with which He was tempted, was compelled to fight off
the temptation to place Himself at the head of the race as its ruler—as the
King of the World. He was shown this picture to compare with the other
whose last scene was Calvary—and He was called upon to feel the desire of
the race for such things, even unto its highest degree. Imagine the desire for
personal aggrandizement of all the world thought beating upon His mind
demanding the expression which could be had through Him alone. And
then imagine the struggle required to defeat this opposing power. Think
of what the ordinary man has to meet and overcome to conquer the desire
for Personal Aggrandizement—and then think of what the Master had to
fight, with the focussed desire of the entire Race-Thought striving to express
itself through Him! Truly the Sins of the World bore down upon Him with
their mighty weight. And yet He knew that He had taken upon Himself this
affliction by entering upon the Life of Man. And He met it like a Man of Men.
It was only by fixing His mind fully and firmly upon what He knew to
be His Real Self—the Spirit Within His soul, and holding His mind “onepointed”
upon the fact—that He was able to fight the fight and conquer.
Seeing the Truth, He could see the folly and illusion of all that the world had
to offer, and He could put forth His mighty Will bidding the Tempter retire
from the scene and from His mind. It was in this full knowledge of His Spirit—
His Real Self—that He was able to rebuke the Tempter, saying, “Thou shalt
not tempt the Lord, thy God!” He held fast to His realization of the God