With this title I would like to raise the question of the test of our faith in its true dimension. Not just the content but also the procedures. There is the first, then there are others and in any case a person of faith is called on a daily basis to overcome the trials with seriousness and success.

Christ’s attitude towards his adversary – the answers he gives to his opponent’s challenges, the accuracy and the austerity of the answers – leads us to the conclusion that the people of faith owe not only to be serious and responsible, but also to know in depth the things we talk about and about which we strive daily.

Frivolities, misconceptions that are disorientating from the truth, generalizations that overlay our ignorance, do not exist in the example quoted by Evangelist Matthew about the events that took place before Christ Himself began his public presence.

The preparation for Christ’s long journey was here, the problems he was worried about were here, and he had to successfully face the examinations that demonstrated his ability to carry out the task assigned to him.

“Guarding”, or even better “safekeeping”, refers to valuable things that need to be protected because they are at risk of theft. Every good and valuable thing for us is kept with care and diligence so that it is not compromised and subjected to theft.

In a nutshell, the valuable things are protected, not the insignificant ones.

Proportional to the value of things is also their protection. This is what our nature and our social practice teach us. Indeed, the more valuable something is, the more dangerous it is to have it stolen, since many are those who would like to own it instead of us.

In any case, all goods and nice things may be stolen; they may be taken away from someone either by personal hatred or personal gain. Resistance, prophylaxis, the protection of our own precious things belongs to us and we have an obligation to organize any necessary initiative for this purpose.

The verb “see” is related to the gaze, meaning the visible communication with something in front of me.

We all understand that seeing is crucial in the daily function of our lives, because anyone who does not see has a great responsibility, if they want to move. A basic condition for any person who wants to change place, go somewhere else, is to see themselves or be led by someone who can see and can judge whether they are heading for their goal or have lost their course. We can be allowed not to see when we are not moving.

But if we want to change place, if we want to conquer unknown worlds, then the basic prerequisite is to see. The concept of overlooking (παραβλέπω) is related to “see” (βλέπω), but it states that while I see the reality I pretend that I do not see something, so as a result I know the correct route to my goal, but I ignore the truth and go on the wrong path. Ignoring is the tragic fate that drives us away from our goal, while we could get to the goal we started for, if we had our gaze fixed on the truth.

Sponsorships are called the famous big donations to improve the quality of life of citizens. Grants are called new donations on existing donations.

In other words, sponsorships and grants are gifts for specific good and positive purposes that aim to raise the standard of living of people.

This concept, well known by Hellenic Antiquity, is an element that the New Testament introduces when it comes to describing the increase in the wealth and living standards of the people of faith.

There are bases and conditions, there are developments, and there are constantly added gifts, which over time become the great capital of faith for every person who wants a living relationship with a living god.

A small seedling becomes a tree, when there is daily sponsorship, when there is addition, when there is new blood that enters the living organism of any natural life. The capital of faith increases in a similar way.

We start with a small capital, on which new sponsorships and new donations are added daily on an endless horizon.

Desert is called an area, a place where no man can live. And this is because, for man to live, there must be the necessary conditions.

Without water and without the ability to produce products of survival, food, etc., man cannot live and the area becomes deserted from human life and presence. This understanding helps us explain why there are no people in many parts of the world, and at the same time it explains the phenomenon why while there were people in some places, today there are none.

The image is similar when we want to describe desolation in the issues of living faith. Why are there within us or around us, near or far from us, deserted areas, areas without water, without the production of survival goods? Why in regions of the world where formerly lived people who practiced faith now there’s poverty, no goods, lack of living water and total desolation?

Our answer is given by the Bible itself, which not only teaches goodness and prosperity but also explains what happens when people of faith lose their orientation, when livelihood and wealth replace the interest in the issues of living faith.