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Matthew 4

roubir2010roubir2010
edited April 2013 in Faith Issues
Hi everybody i was reading the gospel and had a question that been in my head or too long and never found an answer so if anyone can please help in Matthew 4

[b]Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”[/b]

[b]4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
[/b]
the question didn't the devil know that Jesus is God? how can temp him? how can he tell that that he will make him a king over the whole earth and he knows that Jesus is the king?

Please pray for my weakness ALOT

Comments

  • joegjoeg
    [quote author=✞ GoDLovesME ✞ link=topic=14355.msg164076#msg164076 date=1364922685]
    the question didn't the devil know that Jesus is God? how can temp him? how can he tell that that he will make him a king over the whole earth and he knows that Jesus is the king?

    Please pray for my weakness ALOT


    Satan did not at this time know that Jesus was the Son of God.

    From St. John Chrysostom's Commentary on Matthew (Homily XIII):

    For, because he had heard a voice borne from above, and saying, “This is My beloved Son;” and had heard also John bearing so large witness concerning Him, and after that saw Him an hungered; he was thenceforth in perplexity, and neither could believe that He was a mere man, because of the things spoken concerning Him; nor on the other hand receive it that He was Son of God, seeing Him as he did in hunger. Whence being in perplexity he utters ambiguous sounds. And much as when coming to Adam at the beginning, he feigns things that are not, that he may learn the things that are; even so here also, not knowing clearly the unutterable mystery of the Economy, and who He may be that is come, he attempts to weave other nets, whereby he thought to know that which was hidden and obscure. And what saith he? “If Thou be Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” He said not, because thou art an hungered, but, “if Thou be Son of God;” thinking to cheat Him with his compliments. Wherefore also he was silent touching the hunger, that he might not seem to be alleging it, and upbraiding Him. For not knowing the greatness of the Economy which was going on, he supposed this to be a reproach to Him. Wherefore flattering Him craftily, he makes mention of His dignity only.

    The three temptations which are recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew are not the only temptations the Lord was exposed to. Satan was attempting to discover his identity, not yet knowing that he was the Son of God, a fact he did not know even until His death in the flesh upon the cross.
  • geomike
    What about when our Lord Jesus told Simon Peter and the disciples to keep a secret that he was the Son of God? Wouldn't the devil hear this and know?


    Really good question by the way GodLovesMe, it has been a really long time since I have seen a normal edifying thread on this forum, thanks a bunch for asking this and thanks to JG for providing sources for us to learn from.
  • roubir2010roubir2010
    Thank you for your respond and that is the one that i always hear when i ask the question but never click with me because how about when the devil was still an angle and in heaven didn't he see christ?

    Thank you again.
    Please pray for my weakness
  • morcousw
    [quote author=✞ GoDLovesME ✞ link=topic=14355.msg164076#msg164076 date=1364922685]
    how can he tell that that he will make him a king over the whole earth and he knows that Jesus is the king?


    I'd like to note that Earth is NOT our Lord Jesus Christ's kingdom. He even said it Himself "My Kingdom is not of this world"

    The word "kingdom" is defined as being under the laws or the rules of a king. The presence of sin in this world does not make it eligible to be God's kingdom!

    We can prepare our hearts to be a kingdom for God, our home can be a kingdom of God, our church, our workplace, etc. but the earth, itself, is, indeed, the devil's kingdom.
  • joegjoeg
    [quote author=geomike link=topic=14355.msg164078#msg164078 date=1364948793]
    What about when our Lord Jesus told Simon Peter and the disciples to keep a secret that he was the Son of God? Wouldn't the devil hear this and know?

    I'm not sure about the answer to this. I don't think the devil is so ubiquitous as to be able to hear everything that is being said at any point in time, but I hope someone wiser than I can answer this for our benefit.

    [quote author=✞ GoDLovesME ✞ link=topic=14355.msg164079#msg164079 date=1364960364]
    Thank you for your respond and that is the one that i always hear when i ask the question but never click with me because how about when the devil was still an angle and in heaven didn't he see christ?

    This is another question I'm unsure of. My thinking is that Christ was not incarnate in human form until he was born on Earth - Satan may have seen the glory of God, but could not perceive or imagine that God in his glory would humble himself to take the form of a human, a slave. This is why he was perplexed and was unsure whether Jesus was the Son of God, and why he tested him in order to find out for sure. Again, someone wiser than I will be of more benefit.
  • geomike
    So nobody has the answer?
  • mabsootamabsoota
    jg's source is the best to read if you want to understand it betters:
    http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200113.htm

    sorry about the old english, they obviously translated it some time back.
    in short, jg is right.

    i have also heard coptic orthodox priests giving the same explanation that the devil did not understand everything that was happening.
    metropolitan seraphim (british orthodox within the coptic church) says the same.

    i don't quite get it either, but i believe it.
    in 100 years (when i plan to be a great theologian), i may understand it better.
    ;)
  • ShareTheLordShareTheLord
    Whether he has seen God as an angel or not, I am unsure. Yet, we know that sin (/pride, which was his initial fall) blinds you. At that point, we can say he has become blind to God. He has all the knowledge about Him possible, but he can no longer know who God is. If he did, he would never have chosen himself over God.

    The devil knew what was said of Christ. Everyone was talking about it. He knew how everyone said He was the Son of God. He knew this one day might happen. But he definitely thought he could defeat our Lord. Wasn't that why he had fallen in the first place saying that He would have a kingdom greater than His? The devil's goal was to defeat Our Lord. Until the cross, he thought He had won - He thought he had defeated the one who everyone said was the Christ.

    Whether the devil knew for sure that Christ was the Son of God, that I am not certain. He did however, know that it was very likely to be Him since Christ had given many signs and many people believed.

    I am unsure if that was helpful, but I guess that's just my opinion..

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