James 1:12-18
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Homily:
Desire attracts temptations. Desire for more. Desire to disobey the word.
It is easy to avoid our role in sin and assign responsibility for it to everyone but ourselves. But James shows us otherwise.
2 people can work in a bank and be exposed to the vault. One is actively plotting a way to rob it, the other has never even given that a thought.
The temptations on your path are not even a possibility for other people. The root cause of sin, is therefore not temptation, for by itself, it is not sinful. The root cause is in our own desire.
Can we live without desire? Maybe. But till then, endure the trials that will come with your desires, that you may “receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.”