The Second Temptation

1999-1-12 11:28:00

We received some good answers today from Xavier, John and Samu on the first temptation. Xavier, do I sense a growing light in your posts? I think so, and not only yours but the group as a whole?

It is true that the real temptation for Jesus was the illusion that we need more than the inner confirmation before we can rely on a communication from the Spirit. If He had yielded to the temptation to change the stones into bread He would have been admitting that He was not sure and not trusting of the communication He had received from his Father/Mother God.

The interesting thing is that He later fed 10,000 people by multiplying loaves and fishes which was a much greater miracle than just changing a couple stones into bread. The difference was that this miracle was performed in the service of others and not self and he received the inner go ahead to do the miracle.

Jesus often spoke of one greater than Himself which was in Him and that he was basically a student following directions. Notice that just before he raised Lazarus from the dead he thanked his Father within that he was given permission to perform the miracle. The Spirit within never gave Jesus the go-ahead to turn the stones into bread and if He had attempted to do so he would have failed and his faith in his mission would have faltered to the delight of the Dark Brothers.

This is the true meaning of the answer that Jesus gave to his adversary when he said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

The word did not come to Jesus from the mouth (or inner voice) of God to change the stones to bread. He would have been relying on the power of mortal flesh had he attempted to do so.

THE NEXT TEMPTATION:

5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Matthew 4:5-7

Here the adversary used a different tactic - the written Word of God, the scriptures that Jesus cherished as holding the promises of God. This being quoted to Jesus words he adamantly believed to be true and challenged him to test those words.

Jesus could have reasoned as follows: "He's right. The scriptures do say that the angels will watch over the Messiah and if they are really true and if I am the Messiah then I should be able to jump off the temple and yet be protected. If I did this in front of hundreds or thousands of people then no one would doubt me."

Jesus had a firm belief that God would always fulfill His promises so if God is true to his word then this would be a miracle that God would be bound to honor, even if He did not receive permission from the inner voice.

Questions: Where is the illusion here? What similarities are there to the illusion of the first temptation and where is the difference?

If He had jumped from the temple would he have been saved?