An Intense Moment in the Desert
This is one of those parts of the bible that I've always had a lot of trouble with. I think its a great story and I think it teaches us a lot about sin, but I am just in AWE that the devil would think being hungry and tired for 40 days would be enough to get the Son of God to bow to him.
REALLY? He really thought that?
He'd just been baptised. He'd just heard heaven open up and proclaim Him the son of God. Angels had attended to Him. Then He spends 40 days alone in a desert and THAT's going to sway him?
Plus, if this really is God in the form of a human and He is both things at once (which I believe is the correct way to interpret it) was there ever a chance He COULD have sinned? Can God, in ANY form ever sin?
Now, don't get me wrong...I love the story here. I love the way it shows the different kinds of sin and I love that the devil tried to tempt Him and all - but if YOU had just been told YOU were the son of God and angels had attended you and you had heard God's actual voice SPEAK to you, do you think YOU'D have any trouble shooing off the devil 40 days later? 40 YEARS later?
It just dawned on me I'm being the "devil's advocate" here - just not by siding with him!!! Bottom line, I believe it happened because it is in scripture and I believe the devil did try to get Jesus Christ to sin and fall from glory but do I think for one second it was ever going to happen - no matter how tired or alone or fearful He was at that point?
No. I don't.
I think you could have left Jesus in that desert for 4000 years and He wouldn't have sinned and THAT is why I see Him as more than just a "man" at this stage in His physical life. I think by this point, the God part of Him was shining through and it makes me realize it probably was pretty easy for others to see it at this point, too...
providing they could see past the veil of their own sin, that is.
REALLY? He really thought that?
He'd just been baptised. He'd just heard heaven open up and proclaim Him the son of God. Angels had attended to Him. Then He spends 40 days alone in a desert and THAT's going to sway him?
Plus, if this really is God in the form of a human and He is both things at once (which I believe is the correct way to interpret it) was there ever a chance He COULD have sinned? Can God, in ANY form ever sin?
Now, don't get me wrong...I love the story here. I love the way it shows the different kinds of sin and I love that the devil tried to tempt Him and all - but if YOU had just been told YOU were the son of God and angels had attended you and you had heard God's actual voice SPEAK to you, do you think YOU'D have any trouble shooing off the devil 40 days later? 40 YEARS later?
It just dawned on me I'm being the "devil's advocate" here - just not by siding with him!!! Bottom line, I believe it happened because it is in scripture and I believe the devil did try to get Jesus Christ to sin and fall from glory but do I think for one second it was ever going to happen - no matter how tired or alone or fearful He was at that point?
No. I don't.
I think you could have left Jesus in that desert for 4000 years and He wouldn't have sinned and THAT is why I see Him as more than just a "man" at this stage in His physical life. I think by this point, the God part of Him was shining through and it makes me realize it probably was pretty easy for others to see it at this point, too...
providing they could see past the veil of their own sin, that is.
posted by HeyJules at
6:38 AM
4 Comments:
See? This is why it takes ALL of us to read this book. I love when my thinking gets challenged! I have these "scripturally young" visions in my head of why things shouldn't work the way they are told in the bible and you all help me see past those and get to what my thinking should be at a more spiritually mature level.
It is amazing to think Satan could be THIS boldly proud of himself though doesn't it? Makes me realize why God cherishes humility so much in humans...
By
HeyJules, at 8:40 AM
Well, actually to me, it makes perfect sense that Satan would give it his best shot. He was once God's beloved angel, and now that God had taken human form, along with the whole concept of free will, this was a brand new ballgame. God could very well have done things differently once He found himself in human form, subject to all the same frailties every human deals with. But as a human He chose to stay the course. But He had a choice.
By
Claire Joy, at 10:05 AM
So CJ, is this one of those places where Jesus is experiencing free will? Is that what you're saying? I find that amazing!!!
You would think this would be the one place God would restrict free will, wouldn't you? I mean, the outcome here is pretty important, isn't it? Or...is it that God can work around any circumstances and any choices that ANYONE makes and make it all right again?
Oh my head is swimming just thinking about all this and I love to swim!!!
By
HeyJules, at 3:20 PM
I think God the Father had faith in God the Son to do the right thing.... and yes, I believe He had complete free will - I think God always has free will to what He wants though.... :)
By
dangermama, at 1:10 PM
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