How Things Work: A Brief History of Reality
BOOK II: The Power of Three (Science & Religion) – Consideration #105. "Tempting Jesus"
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Tuesday October 17, 2023
“Resistance to temptation means taking desire seriously. Both Jesus and Satan do.”
― Russell D. Moore
HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY EVERYBODY!
Over the past two years we have considered 104 specific considerations related to our perception of reality and are currently considering the second half of Book II focusing on a consideration of Western religion. Here are just some of the topics we have considered over the last two years:
BOOK I – The Physical World, The Non-physical World, The Garden of Eden, Western Dualism, Eastern Dualism, Plato’s Realm of Forms, Aristotelian Physics & Metaphysics, Western Virtues, Roots of Christian Theology, Cartesian Duality, The Scientific Method, The Mind-Body Paradox, Descartes’ Influence on the Modern World, Enlightenment Philosophy and the Age of Reason, Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Rousseau’s Social Contract, Hobbes’ Leviathan, Locke’s concept of Constitutional Government, Adam Smith & Mutually Beneficial Exchange, The American Revolution, The French Revolution, Slavery in America, The Civil War, The Civil Rights Movement, Analog Reality, Digital Reality, Digital Dualism, Hegel, Absolute Idealism, The Phenomenology of Spirit, Giest in the Word, and the relationship between Knowledge, Understanding, and Meaning!
BOOK II – Expanding the Possibility of Dualism, The Age of Science, The Einstein Enigma, The Special Theory of Relativity, The General Theory of Relativity, The Story of God, The Jewish Tradition, Moses & Abraham, Moses and The Law, The Exodus, Reaching the Promised Land, The Christian Tradition…
Book II continues with a consideration of The New Testament. Book III focuses on the mysteries of both Science and Theology and how the new sciences of Quantum Mechanics and String Theory are revealing new insights about those mysteries.
We return to science in Book IV with a consideration of String Theory and the shift in science from an empirical focus to a rational focus. Book V, “Quantum Consciousness,” will be published this November and connects the dots from the previous books with a consideration of “Mind” and “Consciousness” related to the possibility of Artificial Intelligence. Book VI, previewing now on Reality by a Thread, is a deep consideration of Artificial Intelligence as a new digital “Rational Being.”
There it is: the past, present, and future of the How Things Works Free Weekly Newsletter! Thanks for being a part of the Conversation and I am very much looking forward to our future considerations – I hope you are too!
PREFACE
Welcome Everybody!
Essentially, from a Biblical perspective, Jesus fulfills God’s original intention for “mankind” by re-establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Adam and Eve lose their direct connection with God’s Will by replacing it with their own will; forever dividing and separating that previous unity into an all-encompassing dualism.
“Since the first bite of the apple in the Garden of Eden not a single human being had regained their original unity with God…”
Mankind’s “fall from grace” precipitates an endless spiral of separation from God’s Will called “sin.” Although a few “righteous” human beings sought to regain an understanding of God, and God’s Will, the affliction of sin was too deep. Since the first bite of the apple in the Garden of Eden not a single human being had regained their original unity with God; incapable of completely and totally understanding and following His Will.
“Jesus of Nazareth becomes the third turning point in the Biblical narrative by becoming the first human being to do three things…”
God utilizes the “righteous” human beings in the world to implement a mechanism for regaining the unity He had originally intended in the Garden of Eden. Abraham becomes the cornerstone for a foundation of faith and obedience; the essential factors for understanding God and His Will. Moses is given the Law as a blueprint for following God’s Will; the key factor in disciplining and restraining individual will.
Jesus of Nazareth becomes the third turning point in the Biblical narrative by becoming the first human being to do three things; completely understand God, completely understand God’s Will, and most importantly, completely give up his own individual will to follow it. Jesus becomes the “new” Adam by re-establishing the original unity between God and Mankind; replacing the Garden of Eden with the Kingdom of Heaven.
Consideration – Tempting Jesus
There is not a lot of discussion about the devil, heaven, or hell in the Old Testament. Abraham and Moses did not doubt God because of the devil; they doubted God because of their own lack of faith. However, the original sin of disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden did involve a tempter.
There are references to “the Satan”, or tempter, sent by God to test human beings in Jewish tradition. However, exactly who the serpent in the Garden of Eden was, is not clearly defined. But it is likely that Adam and Eve would never have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge had they not been tempted by the serpent. The idea of a Satan, or tempter, takes on a much greater role in Christian theology.
“If Jesus was to become the Messiah, he would have to follow and obey every aspect of God’s Will...”
Human beings were weak and susceptible to temptation. Lack of faith, personal weakness, and separation from God’s intention through temptation were the essential sins making a relationship between God and human beings impossible. If Jesus was to become the Messiah, he would have to follow and obey every aspect of God’s Will without question. In order to prove Jesus’ faith, commitment, and obedience, God would allow him to be tested by the greatest evil in the world: the devil.
Jesus responds to the first temptation with a warning issued to the Israelites by Moses in the Old Testament when speaking about the “bread of life” called manna, given to them by God to sustain them through their forty-year Exodus in the desert. Symbolically, Jesus is tempted in the desert for forty days. In Matthew, these connections between Moses and Jesus help to support Jesus as next in line to represent God’s authority.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
– Matthew 4:1-4
Jesus passes the first test of personal weakness. He does not allow the pain of his personal hunger to move him from his commitment to God, speaking the very words of Moses as a retaliation. Therefore, he is given another test. And once again he responds with the words of Moses.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
– Matthew 4:5-7
There are really two things occurring here. Human beings had continually refused to hear God’s voice and follow His intention. Often, in order to gain faith and compliance, God was forced to provide some kind of miracle or sign. Consistently, God demonstrates that He would prefer not to use miracles as a way to gain respect and obedience, particularly from His own people. Therefore, asking for a miracle as “proof” that he is the Son of God is asking God to “prove” Himself.
Also, the devil is appealing to Jesus’ own human ego by expressing that if he really was the Messiah, he should be able to perform a miracle. After all, if he was truly the Messiah, God would have to protect him. This test also expresses the idea that miracles are secondary to faith. Having faith is a greater power and strength than being able to perform miracles.
Jesus passes the second test by not separating himself from God’s intention; not allowing his ego to be sidetracked in order to prove God, or himself, by performing an astonishing feat. Performing miracles, although persuasive, is not the objective of his ministry. Jesus’ faith in God is beyond miracles.
Finally, the devil takes Jesus to a very high mountain, where he shows him the great kingdoms of the earth. There, he essentially offers Jesus the entire world, if only he will bow down and worship him. This, of course would require breaking the first and second commandments. Jesus passes the third and final test with the words of Moses from the First Commandment.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
– Matthew 4:8-10
Unable to break Jesus’ faith, commitment, or will, to follow God’s intention, the devil gives up and leaves after failing three times to overcome him. Successfully passing all three of the extreme temptations presented by the devil, God sends angels to help restore Jesus.
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
– Matthew 4:11
POSTSCRIPT
Jesus chose the difficult and challenging road of following God’s Will, as opposed to the easy and profitable road of following his own. Jesus’ ability to successfully maintain faith and follow God’s intention, even against the greatest temptations by the greatest tempter, was proof that Jesus was the authentic Messiah. He had done what Adam, Abraham, and Moses could not do; unquestionably follow the will of God and abide by his commandments. Now, his ministry could begin.
“He began teaching throughout Galilee healing the sick and proclaiming the good news.”
Jesus began gathering his first disciples including Simon (Peter), and his brother Andrew, fishermen who he promised to make “fishers of men.” He began teaching throughout Galilee healing the sick and proclaiming the “good news.” The crowds grew larger, until one day a very large crowd followed Jesus across the Jordan river to the top of a nearby mountain. Like Moses on Mt. Saini, Jesus would deliver the “new law” to his people from a mountaintop.
Next week Jesus begins his official public ministry with the Sermon on the Mount…
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Expand the Conversation by Upgrading to “Reality by a Thread!”
•Untangling the Knots of Reality: Podcast #65 Untangling Hegel’s Understanding of Absolute Freedom – “Why does Hegel argue that the contradiction of reality exists within reality itself?” “How does the dichotomy of nature and reason lead to a constant internal struggle within human beings?” “Why does Hegel believe Reality to be a manifestation of thought?” “How do Democrats and Republicans reflect the conflict between Rousseau’s’ concept of the General Will and Kant’s concept of Radical Freedom?” These are a few of the knots we will attempt to untangle in this week’s podcast. That’s a lot of Absolute Freedom for one podcast! So, let’s get started…”
• REALITY BY A THREAD: BOOK VI PREVIEW (The Rational Being ) “The Big Bang transforms Pure Potential Quantum Energy into a temporal process called The Universe. The Universe limits Pure Rationality through a process called Space and Time. Space and Time are the empirical mechanisms of physical reality. Our Reality is the expression and balance of potential and actual energy as expressed through the wave-particle duality we experience as physical manifestation, allowing each “potential” possibility to independently express, manifest, or actualize “itself” empirically through time and space. The rational expression of this energy is Mind or Spirit. The empirical expression of this energy is Body or Physicality.”
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