The Testing of Jesus
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Or in one rendition like the 16 faces of darkness (Eve)? Of goodness ... how does the psyche react to abuse and denial?
Then there is that notorious statement to "feed my children" going counter to staying away from that tree ... as that German philosopher stated: chaos, all is chaos because of emotional irrationality."
So it goes ... or departs ...
Jesus' 40 day test in the wilderness reflects a popular first-century trend for gifted pious young Jews. Here are 3 other examples:
(1) "He [John the Baptist) was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly in Israel (Luke 1:80)."
(2) At age 16, the future Pharisee and Jewish historian, Josephus (born in 36 AD), thought he needed to be tested by ascetic hardships. So he sought the mentoring of an Essene desert hermit, Banus:
"I was informed that... Banus lived in the desert and used no other clothing than grew on trees, and had no other food than what grew of its own accord, and frequently bathed himself in cold water, night and day, in order to preserve his chastity. I imitated him in these things and stayed with him 3 years. So when I had accomplished my desires, I returned to the city (Jerusalem), now 19 years old (Vita 1)."
(3) Shortly after his Damascus road conversion, Paul feels the need to embark on a 3-year desert reteat , the same duration as Josephus' retreat:
"I did not confer with any human being,... but I went away at once into Arabia (Galatians 1:17).
(1) "He [John the Baptist) was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly in Israel (Luke 1:80)."
(2) At age 16, the future Pharisee and Jewish historian, Josephus (born in 36 AD), thought he needed to be tested by ascetic hardships. So he sought the mentoring of an Essene desert hermit, Banus:
"I was informed that... Banus lived in the desert and used no other clothing than grew on trees, and had no other food than what grew of its own accord, and frequently bathed himself in cold water, night and day, in order to preserve his chastity. I imitated him in these things and stayed with him 3 years. So when I had accomplished my desires, I returned to the city (Jerusalem), now 19 years old (Vita 1)."
(3) Shortly after his Damascus road conversion, Paul feels the need to embark on a 3-year desert reteat , the same duration as Josephus' retreat:
"I did not confer with any human being,... but I went away at once into Arabia (Galatians 1:17).
Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
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Things is, I don't recall a Biblical story with Satan as a character where he is the kind of evil villain. Most of the Biblical accounts are more of the trickster variety. Even the snake in Eden can really be read as another case of Satan testing and toying with someone. In this case, they happen to fail the test, or at least don't have the response that God wants.
paradox3
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There are all those demons which Jesus drives out in the synoptic gospels. They are often presumed to be in cahoots with Satan but I am not sure what would support this biblically.
jimkenney12
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There is a passage in one of the gospels where Jesus is accused by the religious leaders of either being Beelzebub or his servant which gives him authority over the demons possessing people.
Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
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Which was likely people once again demonizing someone else's god. Apparently, the name may actually be etymologically derived from a name for the god of a Philistine city. Not surprising, given the relationship between the Hebrews and Philistines in times past, but another illustration of how one man's god can be another's devil.
Beelzebub | Demonic Lord, Prince of Darkness, Fallen Angel | Britannica
Beelzebub, in the Bible, the prince of the devils. In the Old Testament, in the form Baalzebub, it is the name given to the god of the Philistine city of Ekron (II Kings 1:1–18). Neither name is found elsewhere in the Old Testament, and there is only one reference to it in other Jewish literature.
www.britannica.com
jimkenney12
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Here is my first draft of my message for next Sunday based on the Matthew reading.
Message: Time to Reflect, Renew, and Respond
There was a time when many families like ours would go out on a Sunday afternoon drive eager to explore roads new to us. Sometimes they led to wonderful moments and sometimes not so great moments. Spending time with no destination in mind opens us to new possibilities. Spending all our time like that usually ends up similar to when people get lost in natural settings. We go in circles and get nowhere, even though we see interesting things as we make those circles.
The baptism of Jesus that happens before today’s reading ends with a voice declaring that Jesus is the speaker’s beloved son who greatly pleases the speaker. At this time, Jesus is about 30 years old, according to tradition, and we do not know what he has done since he was 12, if you believe Luke’s story. He might have been a builder only or spent time in the Essene community near the shore of the Dead Sea or traveled with caravans that went through Nazareth. He might have traveled to India or various parts of Africa or to parts of Europe. We do know he has observed people, poor and rich, powerless and powerful. He observed how they behaved and acted. He looked at animals and natural places and found patterns that many or most people did not notice. He thoroughly studied at least some of the prophets as well as the Torah and the Psalms meaning he had access to these scrolls in a synagogue or with the Essenes.
We do not know if he understood his mission before his baptism, but I believe he did have a strong sense of mission which prompted his decision to be baptized by John.
The mission he chose was more complicated and difficult than building a road. Working with people is like building a road in a place where the terrain keeps changing. Working with people requires understanding basic principles of decision making and behaviour. Serving a faith mission especially requires deep connections with the Holy Mystery and one’s self.
The time in the wilderness without eating focused Jesus on understanding the difference he wanted to make, the process he needed to establish, and how to get there.
The temptations he resisted combined with his preaching and actions point to a mission of reconciling people with God which meant helping them to love God. Love is an attitude or way of being that cannot be forced or bought.
As he would have been very hungry, the first temptation is to use his power to change stones into bread. His rejection of this temptation, I believe, is a rejection of trying to buy people’s love for God, whether it is with food or other needs. Food and other gifts might buy loyalty, though not necessarily even that, but they cannot buy love.
A natural temptation when we want people to change is to grab at power. It does not work with children, and only with resistance with adults. I learned about the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder over 25 years ago and I believe it is not a disorder. Behaviour usually labelled as Oppositional Defiance is determined defense of self and it is important for us to protect our identity and personhood. It becomes a problem for parents and others when they do not recognize the anxiety and other issues that prompt the behaviour. I believe a problem with our society may be not enough oppositional defiance as we allow bad things to happen instead of resisting them thoughtfully.
When Jesus resisted the second temptation, the temptation to go for power, he knew using power would not help people love God.
Today we have millions of people that are fans of individuals for a variety of reasons related to fame: stardom as entertainers, athletes, creators, special gifts, etc. Jumping off the temple and living might have impressed people and might have won some fans for a day or two. It would not have helped many people to love God.
I emphasize the necessity of getting people to love God. I believe that the God in whom Jesus believed, a God called Daddy, already loves us unconditionally. We do not need to change people’s behaviour to get God to love them. Our challenge and the challenge Jesus faced was getting people to love God.
The most reliable path to love is personal connection. While Jesus healed many people and preached important stuff, the path to getting people to love God is connecting with them. In the more than two years Jesus spent with his disciples, they came to love him and to also to know, through him, that God loved them. Recognizing God’s love for them opened a door to loving God in return. This would also have applied to his followers that followed him around. Experiencing love paves the way to loving in return.
This love became visible in the incredible risks they took out of love for God and for Jesus after he died.
The problem with love like that is that it can fade as habitual ways of thinking and acting creep back in. We see this in the gradual transformation of the community of followers of the way from domination by love expressed in many ways to the more institutional church of the second century, the loss of equality for women, and increasing use of fear and rewards.
A strong love for God or the Holy Mystery includes awareness of how we are blessed, deep feelings of gratitude, and feelings of being lovingly connected to the Holy Mystery. It is a way of being that makes the world brighter, more hopeful, and richer in joy. It is a love which cannot be contained but flows outward in what we do with and for others.
I see this love in the leadership of some of the members here in what they do for others in both group settings and with individuals. It is a love which grows us as we share it with others.
My invitation to you as we enter Lent is two fold. First, like Jesus, use this time to increase clarity about your mission and how you might approach it. The second is to take time for practices to deepen your feelings of love for all that is: yourself, the Holy Mystery, others, the world, and more. Make Lent a time for love.
As we do this, the Holy Mystery becomes more of who we are and what we do. Amen.
Message: Time to Reflect, Renew, and Respond
There was a time when many families like ours would go out on a Sunday afternoon drive eager to explore roads new to us. Sometimes they led to wonderful moments and sometimes not so great moments. Spending time with no destination in mind opens us to new possibilities. Spending all our time like that usually ends up similar to when people get lost in natural settings. We go in circles and get nowhere, even though we see interesting things as we make those circles.
The baptism of Jesus that happens before today’s reading ends with a voice declaring that Jesus is the speaker’s beloved son who greatly pleases the speaker. At this time, Jesus is about 30 years old, according to tradition, and we do not know what he has done since he was 12, if you believe Luke’s story. He might have been a builder only or spent time in the Essene community near the shore of the Dead Sea or traveled with caravans that went through Nazareth. He might have traveled to India or various parts of Africa or to parts of Europe. We do know he has observed people, poor and rich, powerless and powerful. He observed how they behaved and acted. He looked at animals and natural places and found patterns that many or most people did not notice. He thoroughly studied at least some of the prophets as well as the Torah and the Psalms meaning he had access to these scrolls in a synagogue or with the Essenes.
We do not know if he understood his mission before his baptism, but I believe he did have a strong sense of mission which prompted his decision to be baptized by John.
The mission he chose was more complicated and difficult than building a road. Working with people is like building a road in a place where the terrain keeps changing. Working with people requires understanding basic principles of decision making and behaviour. Serving a faith mission especially requires deep connections with the Holy Mystery and one’s self.
The time in the wilderness without eating focused Jesus on understanding the difference he wanted to make, the process he needed to establish, and how to get there.
The temptations he resisted combined with his preaching and actions point to a mission of reconciling people with God which meant helping them to love God. Love is an attitude or way of being that cannot be forced or bought.
As he would have been very hungry, the first temptation is to use his power to change stones into bread. His rejection of this temptation, I believe, is a rejection of trying to buy people’s love for God, whether it is with food or other needs. Food and other gifts might buy loyalty, though not necessarily even that, but they cannot buy love.
A natural temptation when we want people to change is to grab at power. It does not work with children, and only with resistance with adults. I learned about the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiance Disorder over 25 years ago and I believe it is not a disorder. Behaviour usually labelled as Oppositional Defiance is determined defense of self and it is important for us to protect our identity and personhood. It becomes a problem for parents and others when they do not recognize the anxiety and other issues that prompt the behaviour. I believe a problem with our society may be not enough oppositional defiance as we allow bad things to happen instead of resisting them thoughtfully.
When Jesus resisted the second temptation, the temptation to go for power, he knew using power would not help people love God.
Today we have millions of people that are fans of individuals for a variety of reasons related to fame: stardom as entertainers, athletes, creators, special gifts, etc. Jumping off the temple and living might have impressed people and might have won some fans for a day or two. It would not have helped many people to love God.
I emphasize the necessity of getting people to love God. I believe that the God in whom Jesus believed, a God called Daddy, already loves us unconditionally. We do not need to change people’s behaviour to get God to love them. Our challenge and the challenge Jesus faced was getting people to love God.
The most reliable path to love is personal connection. While Jesus healed many people and preached important stuff, the path to getting people to love God is connecting with them. In the more than two years Jesus spent with his disciples, they came to love him and to also to know, through him, that God loved them. Recognizing God’s love for them opened a door to loving God in return. This would also have applied to his followers that followed him around. Experiencing love paves the way to loving in return.
This love became visible in the incredible risks they took out of love for God and for Jesus after he died.
The problem with love like that is that it can fade as habitual ways of thinking and acting creep back in. We see this in the gradual transformation of the community of followers of the way from domination by love expressed in many ways to the more institutional church of the second century, the loss of equality for women, and increasing use of fear and rewards.
A strong love for God or the Holy Mystery includes awareness of how we are blessed, deep feelings of gratitude, and feelings of being lovingly connected to the Holy Mystery. It is a way of being that makes the world brighter, more hopeful, and richer in joy. It is a love which cannot be contained but flows outward in what we do with and for others.
I see this love in the leadership of some of the members here in what they do for others in both group settings and with individuals. It is a love which grows us as we share it with others.
My invitation to you as we enter Lent is two fold. First, like Jesus, use this time to increase clarity about your mission and how you might approach it. The second is to take time for practices to deepen your feelings of love for all that is: yourself, the Holy Mystery, others, the world, and more. Make Lent a time for love.
As we do this, the Holy Mystery becomes more of who we are and what we do. Amen.
I like the Jewish understanding of Satan. Satan has no power independent of God. Otherwise it would imply a lack of Gods all inclusive control and power.Which was likely people once again demonizing someone else's god. Apparently, the name may actually be etymologically derived from a name for the god of a Philistine city. Not surprising, given the relationship between the Hebrews and Philistines in times past, but another illustration of how one man's god can be another's devil.
Beelzebub | Demonic Lord, Prince of Darkness, Fallen Angel | Britannica
Beelzebub, in the Bible, the prince of the devils. In the Old Testament, in the form Baalzebub, it is the name given to the god of the Philistine city of Ekron (II Kings 1:1–18). Neither name is found elsewhere in the Old Testament, and there is only one reference to it in other Jewish literature.
As an adversary he tries to lead some astray which if not successful it strengthens us.
Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
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Which was the source of my earlier comment about monotheism vs. Zoroastrian dualism. Some Christians seem to see Satan in terms that would make their faith dualistic, a battle between opposing equal forces. But your picture of Satan, the one that fits best with scripture IMHO, is monotheist with Satan as much a tool of God as God's opponent and certainly an equal of God.
paradox3
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This story bothered me a great deal as a child. I wondered why Jesus wouldn't turn the rocks into bread and get something to eat. It was akin to Samantha on Bewitched. Why did she insist on doing all that housework instead of twitching her nose to get the place clean???
My mom thought Satan was mocking Jesus and He didn't need to prove He was the son of God.
My mom thought Satan was mocking Jesus and He didn't need to prove He was the son of God.
Imagine if there is something buried in those symbols to be pushed up and out!
Real powers dislike symbolism ... mostly because of the essential mystery ... its ghastly until reading intuit!
Some declare: "stinking intelligence" and then its out there ... oli factory? Generating mores ...
Real powers dislike symbolism ... mostly because of the essential mystery ... its ghastly until reading intuit!
Some declare: "stinking intelligence" and then its out there ... oli factory? Generating mores ...
paradox3
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It's interesting that Satan recognizes Jesus as the Son of God so early in the narrative. The challenges about the bread and throwing Himself off the pinnacle recognize His innate nature and gifts. For Jesus it might be a question of using his power for the right reasons.
But the third challenge is different. Here Satan claims to have all power and offers it to Jesus in return for switching allegiances, so to speak.
But the third challenge is different. Here Satan claims to have all power and offers it to Jesus in return for switching allegiances, so to speak.
paradox3
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Back to Samantha for a minute. She was a witch who married a mortal. Her husband expected her to suppress her true nature and live a solely mortal life. There has been lots of feminist critique of this old show.
What if Satan had tried to tempt Jesus with the thought of a solely human life?
What if Satan had tried to tempt Jesus with the thought of a solely human life?
Imagine the devious advocating unknowns ...
It is said there are folk that support great mysterious as things mortals have limited intelligence about! Are they juiced? Maybe Je wiz ... and hated by downers ... thus we guest! Goo ae is tacky ... and thus nailed ... as the tail goes ... Talus????
Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
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Actually, that was what the film version of The Last Temptation of Christ was ultimately about (can't speak for the novel since I haven't read it). On the cross, Satan appears to Jesus again and shows him the life he could have if he just gave up his mission and got down off the cross. Marriage to Mary Magdalene, a family, etc. Jesus, of course, spurns Satan once again and dies. The film ends there and doesn't deal with the resurrection. With its strong focus on Jesus' humanity, that actually makes sense here.
paradox3
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An interesting twist on the Christian narrative. That Jesus sacrificed his very life is well known. How often do we think about the other sacrifices he made?
I have always thought of Jesus as a guy who separated from his family of origin enough to follow his true calling. But yes, he would have given things up.
Life is a great balancing act, the philosopher Dr Seuss observed in one of his books.
How many people end up wondering about the life they could have had? I thought about it more when I was younger than I do now.
Mendalla
Happy headbanging ape!!
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I think about it every time I watch Time Team and wonder why the hell I didn't do grad studies in classics with a view to getting into archaeology. I even had two profs in my undergrad who were working archaeologists in their off semesters and sabbaticals (married couple, in fact).
As a pastor, I wrote a member (Ken) a reference to volunteer on a dig at Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee, where as many as 5 of Jesus' disciples once lived. A high school kid from Nebraska had just dug up a coin there from 37 BC with Mark Anthony's image on one side and Cleopatra's on the obverse. Ken was a retired architect with no archaeological experience. It turned out that his architectural knowledge proved invaluable in identifying what lay under slivers of ruins that just pierced the surface.
Ken got to work with top Israeli archeologists. One asked him if he was interested in working on the first-century house at Nazareth that tradition from 600 AD had identified as Joseph and Mary's house. Only recently had this house been dated to the precise time of Joseph and Mary, a strong indication that the tradition might have merit. By that time Ken was eager to get back to the USA; so he declined. Ken was then asked to go to Vilnius in Lithuania to look for the tunnel that great masses of Jews in a pit dug to escape Nazi confinement. During rthe war Vilnius was called "The Jerusalem of the North." Ken found the tunnel which had eluded detection ofLithuanian archaeolgists for decades! And that got Ken featured on Nova program!
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(1a) "And just as He was coming out of the water, HE SAW the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven: "YOU are my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased (Mark 1:10-11).""
Note that in Mark only Jesus has the vision of the dove and by implication only He hears the heavenly voice.
(1b)"Just as He came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from Heaven said, "THIS is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-`7)."
Note that Matthew changes Mark's "You" to "This," creating the impression that the witnesses present also heard the heavenly voice.
(1c) "The heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove (Luke 3:21-22)."
Note that in copying Mark, Luke omits the phrase "He saw," thus creating the impression that all the witnesses might have seen the vision.
(2a) "And the Spirit immediately DROVE Him out (literally: "cast Him out") into the wilderness."
The Greek translated "drove" is "ekballo," a violent verb which the same verb used for casting out demons.
"Ekballo" implies 2 things here: (a) Jesus is resistant or at least ambivalent about heading for the desert.
(b) Jesus is actually possessed by the Spirit in a still highly visionary state that helps explain His visions in the wilderness.
Imagine how this might look to the witnesses, if they neither saw the vision nor heard the voice, and now see Jesus staggering in a trance state into the desert! Hence the need for the heavenly voice to repeat this acclamation at the Transfiguration, where this time others both share the vision and hear the voice.
(3b)"Then Jesus was LED by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1)."
Matthew, or rather his source Q, changes "drove" to "led" to provide a more dignified and volitional entry into the wilderness.
Note that in Mark only Jesus has the vision of the dove and by implication only He hears the heavenly voice.
(1b)"Just as He came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from Heaven said, "THIS is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-`7)."
Note that Matthew changes Mark's "You" to "This," creating the impression that the witnesses present also heard the heavenly voice.
(1c) "The heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove (Luke 3:21-22)."
Note that in copying Mark, Luke omits the phrase "He saw," thus creating the impression that all the witnesses might have seen the vision.
(2a) "And the Spirit immediately DROVE Him out (literally: "cast Him out") into the wilderness."
The Greek translated "drove" is "ekballo," a violent verb which the same verb used for casting out demons.
"Ekballo" implies 2 things here: (a) Jesus is resistant or at least ambivalent about heading for the desert.
(b) Jesus is actually possessed by the Spirit in a still highly visionary state that helps explain His visions in the wilderness.
Imagine how this might look to the witnesses, if they neither saw the vision nor heard the voice, and now see Jesus staggering in a trance state into the desert! Hence the need for the heavenly voice to repeat this acclamation at the Transfiguration, where this time others both share the vision and hear the voice.
(3b)"Then Jesus was LED by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1)."
Matthew, or rather his source Q, changes "drove" to "led" to provide a more dignified and volitional entry into the wilderness.