Temptation

   Frodo stood at the heart of Mordor, the fire and lava flowing violently below him.  He gazed lustily at the ring, savoring its power, recklessly succumbing to its command.  Sam shouted to him, “What are you waiting for?  Just let it go!”

   The music faded, giving way to a forcefully and steadily pounding heartbeat to identify the life-consuming evil taking on a life of its own within Frodo’s being.  “This ring is mine!” he hissed, placing the ring onto his own finger, disappearing with only his footprints to declare his presence.

   The creature, Gollum, rushed in without warning, headlong into the invisible Frodo, and with complete abandon to any pretense of good, wrestled to reclaim his Precious ring.  As they struggled there within the belly of Mordor, the great battle of good and evil being waged by the Fellowship and the allies of men against the enormous orc army were rapidly losing their upper hand, their unity, and their hope for survival. 

   Gollum grasped desperately at Frodo’s ellusive frame, and finding the finger bearing the ring, bit it off.  In the midst of Gollum’s gluttonous expressions of victory, Frodo ran at him once more and both fell over the edge.  Gollum and the ring descended into the fiery abyss of Mordor while Frodo dangled from the cliff’s jagged rocks.*

   It is interesting that Gollum, the personification of Frodo’s temptation, of personal struggle, and of dependency, was a key factor instrumental to Frodo’s drastic breaking from the temptation which entangled him.   The very beast that acted as his guide while manipulating and attempting to control his behavior became a provisional tool for his way of escape.

   There is no indication that the brilliant author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy meant to reveal a Biblical reality.  However, this scene casts a vivid portrayal of the truths found in      1 Corinthians 10:1-13, illustrating encouragement and hope in the midst of overwhelming odds, utilizing the most unexpected provision of escape; the temptation itself.

“…Therefore let him who thinks he stands 

take heed that he does not fall.  

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; 

and God is faithful, 

who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 

but with the temptation 

will provide the way of escape also, 

so that you will be able to endure it.”  

~I Corinthians 10:12-13

   Temptation itself is not sin; it acts as a guide, manipulating and attempting to control our behavior in order to lead to sin.  It follows the path of destruction, inviting stimulating thoughts, distracting and redirecting its follower using whatever methods handy to draw its victim to its desired end, sin.

But God is not manipulated,

God is not guided,

nor is He controlled.

He is God.

Every bit of creation belongs to Him,

is sustained by Him,

and is in His command.

“God is not a man, that He should lie,

nor a son of man, that He should repent;

Has He said, and will He not do it?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Behold, I have received a command to bless;

When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.”  

~Numbers 23:19-20

~ae

*Reader’s observations of Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien, are not cited from the original text.