Transcript autogenerated by Descript.com

[00:00:00] David: John, perhaps when we said we would take three or four episodes to work through the temptations of Jesus, people were like, no, you can't take that long to talk about the temptations of Jesus, but here we are four episodes later and we've arrived at the third temptation. 

[00:00:17] John: Oh, so we could have doubled that maybe we could have, we could have rocked on. I, I think both of our challenges was just shutting up which our listeners have probably already realized is a monumental challenge for the pair of us, especially when we're getting into Jesus and the Bible. So absolutely just so much stuff and hope It's wet in the appetite of our listeners to dig a bit deeper.  

[00:00:39] David: I feel like after almost a year of two texts, podcasts, I kind of feel like if you're still listening, now you're aware of the fact that we get excited about this stuff and maybe go on a bit. 

[00:00:53] John: Yeah. Yeah, 

[00:00:54] That's, that's a nice way of, that's a nice way of putting it. Yeah. Going on a bit, but yes, absolutely. 

[00:01:00] unwind, not eight, if you're, if there's something you're going to go on a bit about there's there could be worse things, right? So this is, this is what an amazing privilege we have. 

[00:01:08] And, and, as we said, when we started to tax, if no one is leaving. We're just loved. We just love doing it. We we're we're we're not doing this to get listeners. We're doing this because we love the Bible And we love the church and we love Jesus. So, so it's all cool. 

[00:01:23] David: And spare a thought for our friends and family. Cause they can't pause us when we get excited about this stuff.  

[00:01:30] Okay, John, so this is the third temptation that Jesus encounters from the Satan or the devil or the adversary. You're going to read this for us just quickly. 

[00:01:39] And then we're  

[00:01:40] John: is, this is a monster one. So this is absolutely incredible. So I'll read from verse nine of Luke four, and it says this, the devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the son of God. He said, throw yourself down from here for it is written. He will come on his angels concerning you to guard you carefully. 

[00:02:05] They will lift you up and their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered it is said, do not put the Lord your God to the test. When the devil had finished all his tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Wow. Come on now. Come on.  

[00:02:30] David: The first 13, it just feels like a slight anti-climax  

[00:02:36] John: Yeah, it does it, sort of slides off. Absolutely. Yeah, it's true. It's true.  

[00:02:41] David: I say, I have no problem condescending the devil, but this is almost a sense of the devil is a car, something at a time, and I've got to get home from a T or my mom will be mad, so I need to come back later. 

[00:02:54] John: Yeah.  

[00:02:54] David: Which of course we know that he, he does in various forms throughout Luke's, but but interesting that he brings this to a conclusion and we'll see in, in, in future episodes, why the temptations have established something of Jesus and now he knows. I slightly different tests coming ahead of him. 

[00:03:12] But but let's talk about actually this, this temptation it's self. So Jesus is brought to the high point of the temple and the is back. Notice that questions back that led us into this, if you are the son of God. So there's a, the, there's some evidence out there that means. The Messiah would have some sort of, miraculous moment in the, in the temple. 

[00:03:38] So maybe there's illusions to some of this. But where do, where do you want to jump into a text? There's so much to talk about here. 

[00:03:43] John: Oh, millions of things. Absolutely. If we can pull off this in 40, 45 minutes, we were doing phenomenally well. I mean, I think a great place to start is, is where it starts. And I, I think the fact that the. The devil takes Jesus to the highest point in the temple. So, so for our, our listeners, it would be important to maybe do a little bit of research on Herod's temple. 

[00:04:09] And when you do that, you will discover that in first century Jerusalem Herod's temple was mastered. It was 35 acres in size. I mean, that is colossal. Even if you say that quickly, that's amazing to approximately somewhere between 35 and 40 years to build, this is a monster, a monster monster. And if you, if you ever see, if you ever go to Jerusalem, go to the Jerusalem museum and you will see a first century mock-up to sort of, of, of the the first century Jerusalem world. 

[00:04:45] And it is a stunning understanding of the proportions or what you notice immediately is that the temple is in the highest part of this. In terms of first century Jerusalem, the temple takes up close to a third of the floor space of the ancient city. So it's a massive place it's sitting on on the highest point. 

[00:05:04] And then from grown floor to the holiest of Holies, you raise 2,900. And then the highest part of the temple is the holy of Holies. So if Satan has taken Jesus to the highest part of the temple, we are standing on top of the holy of Holies. Now what's really significant here, of course, is, is that the holy of Holies represents the physical embodiment of the presence of the. 

[00:05:34] And I think then the context of where this test takes place is absolutely amazing. And in terms of once we start understanding what see in is actually tempting Jesus to do and how Jesus. So, and the, and, and everything we're about to say. I think I mean, we don't, we never rehearsed this stuff, but everything I think we'll end up saying for our listeners to remember all of this is taking place on top of the holiest of Holies, the physics. 

[00:06:07] Embodiment of the presence of God. And of course, who is Jesus, Jesus is the incarnation of the presence of that God in human form. And it is striking that this temptation, this test takes place at that point. So Jesus would have literally, if the previous temptation he's looking over the kingdoms of the world here, he is looking over the whole of Jerusalem and seeing the magnificence of that city at the heart of God's design. 

[00:06:36] David: I don't want to spend too much time on this cause I feel like we've probably convinced people of this, but in the last couple of episodes, we've, we've arched back to. The Genesis account. 

[00:06:48] Right. So I just think it's worth noting that this, this whole idea of the first human failure at the temptation of the devil. Now the second human to use Paul's language. The second Adam just remember we cannot eat of this fruit cause we will die. And the Satan's response is you will not certainly die. 

[00:07:09] And here he's now with Jesus going through yourself. Because you will not certainly die. So, I mean, maybe I'm clutching, but I still feel this resonancies back to to the Genesis story. 

[00:07:22] John: totally, I would say I suppose for us, we, we sometimes, because we're sitting in these ideas, we sometimes feel like we're overplaying them, but actually, I, I think you, you cannot see the testing of Jesus and no. Referred to the Genesis account. I think they are inextricably linked and ultimately, although it it's, it looks a bit more sophisticated on the approach is a bit more pronounced and audacious. 

[00:07:51] The essential ideas at the heart of the approach to the man and the woman in the garden are exactly the same as the. That the, see it and is using to approach Jesus. So there are on unmissable parallels and our, our listeners should lean into those And, not be afraid to test those a little bit because they are they're. 

[00:08:10] Absolutely. 

[00:08:12] David: And, and it is beautiful. The sense of humanity restored at some level, this, this human, and this is going to be important to us when we get to the cross, the resurrection, we're seeing how this human Jesus has retold the human story, but successfully  

[00:08:27] John: Oops. 
 

[00:08:27] David: is, 
 

[00:08:28] John: And I, and I think another thing, David, like if we want to jump from Genesis back, no to Luke, I think what you do get in the garden absolutely is, a very clever distortion of 

[00:08:42] God's truth in the. How's God really said, and then there's a manipulation of that truth. 

[00:08:49] And of course, here we have here, we have see it in manipulating and misquoting scripture. And in the form of some 91 night to the tree and ear, or I, it sounds like a perfectly valid quote, but when you then compare the actual quote and some night they want to, we've been encouraged in our, our listeners always go back to the original quote. 

[00:09:16] When you compare the original quote to high sit and manipulates the. is some, I mean, we don't want to give the devil any credit, but there is some very clever manipulation of the taxed, which unless it, you won't spot it. And I think that's very, very powerful and data. So if, if we lean back to some 91, some 91, it, it begins with the idea of, of dwelling in the presence of the shadow of the Lord. 

[00:09:50] So, so right at the beginning, any protection it's about to be offered in this is because you remain firmly rooted on under the shadow of your. All right, so that that's, that's really gotta be understood. As we lean into that and then the immediate context of the statement, that's it. And mix, if you Mick, the most high, your dwelling, even the Lord who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you. 

[00:10:17] Our new disaster will come near your. And then it's that when he goes on to say he will command his angels concerning you, so versus sort of nine and 10. So when you look at the actual quote, actually before you bungee jump off the temple without a bungee rope 

[00:10:35] the condition for angelic protection is making the most high, your. The condition to experience supernatural protection and provision is that you do not step outside the boundaries that Jaquez has set for you. That is exactly what the enemy is attempting to make Jesus do. He's attempting to cause Jesus, Hey, if you are the son of God and you can do this, you can ignore the rules. Right. If you're the son of God, you don't need to stay under the shadow of Jaqui. If you're the sort of God, you don't need to make the most how you're dwelling, you can just jump. Everything will be fine. But that is in violation of the very essence of Psalm 91. We're in order to receive this divine protection, you must. 

[00:11:23] Stay under the wings, stay onto the shadow, stay under the covering of the most high and make him your dwelling and your dwelling alone. So it's a brilliant misquote echoes of Genesis how's God really said. And any manipulates, the words nine, he has the audacity to quote the word to the word. And and I misquoted at that and manipulate the quote sewers to try and mislead G. 

[00:11:50] Into doing what he shouldn't do. Is does that make sense? Do you think,  

[00:11:56] David: Are you going to leave it there or should we push it further? 

[00:11:58] John: no, you go put, go here. I've talked enough. I've I'm sort of pausing to let your, I can see your brain, our, our listeners. Don't realize we're looking at each other and I can see your brain literally overheating, David. You, oh, your glasses are steaming up with excitement. That what the bite to come next. So please, please speak my friend. 

[00:12:17] Speak.  

[00:12:17] David: Yeah. If, if you were I'm the type of person that use these, the prayer book, for example, the book of common prayer. So if you're in a north American Episcopalian tradition or in in Anglican traditions, then you will know that Psalm 91 is one of the, is one of the key Psalms in the compliment prayer, the prayer that you pray before you go to sleep. 

[00:12:39] My daughter and I do conflict prayer most nights. And there's three songs that you pick from and 91 as my daughter knows well, is the longest. 

[00:12:50] So if you really want to stretch your bedtime a little bit longer, you choose some 91 as, as your, as your song. So, so this sums one of the songs it's very, very familiar. To me when no, I'm not in a Mississippian tradition, but we've, we've got into the habit of, of reading the conflict prayer together as a family. 

[00:13:08] I want to push the other side of what you said, because I think the Psalm continues to be helpful.  

[00:13:14] John: Yeah.  

[00:13:15] David: And pulls the rug out from the devil's feet. Right? So, so, so he, you, what you've said like a hundred percent agree with everything you've said, but then you get the devil's quote, clearly showing that sometimes you can take a verse out of context and do something awkward with it, but then you get this. 

[00:13:31] So they lift up you in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against the stone. You'll tread on the lion and the Cobra you'll trample the great lion and the serpent. But then just think about this. Verse 14 of some 91, because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him. I will protect him for, he acknowledges mine. 

[00:13:51] Right. So interest. Interesting. Right? So bear in mind, this whole story has become, has begun with the Lord, acknowledging Jesus as my son. So the whole idea is that you were saying there's, there is a, there is a tent, right? Here's the way that you get the Lord's protection. You follow him, you, you lean on him, but then the Lord now returns to say, I know this person, like, like I think about that. 

[00:14:17] Why, how are we protected by the Lord? Because he knows. Right. But think about this story in Luke four, this is my son in whom I am pleased. So, so the, the narrative lead up from the baptism story has said, Jesus gets God's protection because, because the Lord knows him, he is pleased with him. He's within that. 

[00:14:37] Right. But then I just want to keep reading because Psalm 91 is beautiful. He will call on. And I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him here comes that language of honor coming back again, the devil is trying to give it to Jesus, but then think about this verse 16 with long life, I will satisfy him. 

[00:14:58] So jumping off the roof of the temple may not be, there might not be the best bit, but then it just, and in the final lane of. 91 with long life, I will satisfy him and show him my, and if you're reading this in Hebrew, show him my Yeshua, right. My salvation. Right. But of course Yeshua the Hebrew name of Jesus. 

[00:15:19] Right? So there's like, there's something beautiful happening in this. That's echoing this story. That's going on here. The devil's misquote to bring Jesus to the point, but almost the sense that Jesus. Is well aware of the other half of this Psalm, well aware of, of how this actually works. I mean, it's just beautiful, isn't it? 

[00:15:40] John: It's magnificent. And again, it does, doesn't it show you something powerful in, in the ability of the Lord to tick something even used against you to, to, to twist even that for good. And, and here's, here's this 

[00:15:56] being clearly manipulated almost, it's almost like two rabbis having an argument over the text, really, and it's been manipulated and, and Jesus. 

[00:16:06] Jesus understands how that has been manipulated and, and refuses to engage with the Psalm itself because I run a glee, a proper understanding of the Psalm is saying exactly the opposite to what see it is, is positioning under. I think there's something of an authority silence here from Jesus. I think. 

[00:16:32] Does not respond to the misquote of Psalm 91 because actually the Psalm itself properly understood, proves his point and not the enemies point. 

[00:16:44] David: brilliant. Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:16:46] John: So it's, it's almost, well, I I'm not even, I'm not even gonna argue that because the Psalm itself is it backs this idea up 

[00:16:53] in, in terms of who I am and where I am, but of course, what is, what is then fascinating and from an understanding of the Hebrew Bible, there's a, again, a fascinating response here that G. 

[00:17:05] Responds to a quote from the writings, which Psalms would sit in. So in the Hebrew Bible, you have Torah profits writing. You've got instruction profits. There are the three big sections of the Hebrew Bible 

[00:17:20] which I think it's a really helpful way to understand the old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. 

[00:17:24] I think it's a re it's really transformed my reading of the old Testament to think of it in three major sections, Torah instruction, profits, and ratings, and the Psalm sits in the ratings. Now the heavy bit of the Tanakh that have the bet of the Hebrew Bible. That's the engine room. And in fact, the profits are the conscience of the Torah. 

[00:17:46] They really speak Torah. If you don't get tore, you don't understand the profits. They just sound like raving mark man. 

[00:17:52] David: The 
 

[00:17:53] John: But, but they do. Yeah. Yeah, But once you get Torah, you're absolutely. 

[00:17:56] they are The conscience of Torah. They're speaking to the Kings about their bad behavior and society and the ratings or the sort of almost poetic interpretation of elements of Torah, which of course Psalms are. So Jesus, but if you want it to wit the three, it's all inspired by God. So please listeners don't hear what I'm not saying, but if you want it to it, The Hebrew Bible, the heavy bit of the Hebrew Bible is definitely Torah. That's where the weight is, everything else. So the devil audaciously quotes ratings, and Jesus doesn't even respond to the quote because he knows what the court actually means. 

[00:18:37] First of all, but second, he responds with Moses. He responds with Torah and. Trump's ratings every time sort of thing. It's that sense? He brings him back to the engine room again, this is now the third Torah quote in this encounter. The third on the rack court from Deuteronomy Deuteronomy six. And we're back again to Deuteronomy six. 

[00:18:59] And again, I just love our listeners to follow the bread crumbs here because there's something I think we're about to see, which then links us back to the police of this test. Which is absolutely quite amazing when we go back to Deuteronomy chapter six, is that a fair reflection, debit in terms of Torah and writings? 

[00:19:20] Is that I don't want to say, I don't want our listeners to hear something. I'm not saying the whole Bible is inspired by God, where I accept that totally and completely, but there's a sort of a weird different sections that have to be read in different.  

[00:19:33] David: It's interesting because when I read this passage, not just the verse that we read in today, but the whole, the whole temptation narrative, I'm always cautious of making grand statements. Although I make a lot of grand statements, but there's this nuance to this and what I'm about to see, but there is a way to read this and I think we've alluded to this. 

[00:19:54] In our conversations, this is, and I see this with, like, don't hear what I'm not seeing in this, but there's. This is two rabbis arguing over the interpretation of scripture. Now that please don't like I realized we've got the Satan and Jesus in here. So don't read anything into what I'm not saying here, but Luke is presenting this temptation to his reader as this is an argument. 

[00:20:21] This is an argument over what is acceptable. You walk down to your local synagogue, you see arguments like this happening all the time. Go, can you interpret scripture like this mine? I think you can. I don't think you can because of this verse over here. Well, what should we do with this? Well, no, wait a minute. 

[00:20:35] That's not how it works. I think that that's part of the way this is appearing. It's a, it's a challenge in response, debate over scripture, the like of which people would see in a lot of times. And, and so if you, if that's the framework of what's happening your way, Right now is quite significant because that's exactly how scripture was interpreted in the ancient world. 

[00:20:58] Is that, well, I'm reading this text here and it seems to allow me to do this. Yes, yes. But you're forgetting about this text over here in Deuteronomy, for example, and the text in Deuteronomy we're going to use. And this happens in the modern world, John, all the time in modern biblical interpretation. 

[00:21:13] Let me use a controversial example, but, but one that you know, that you and I think is very important. What does the Bible say about, about women in the church? And so many people start with one line in Corinthians or one line in the letters to Timothy and say, oh, I, Paul seems to be against women in the church. 

[00:21:34] And then as a result, they miss the role of women throughout the whole new Testament and the new tasks. Liberation of patriarchy and liberation of, of oppression. Whereas a bachelor way to do is you want to start with something like Galatians three, start with how Jesus authorized these women to, to proclaim the resurrection before anybody else. 

[00:21:54] And then when you've got that in mind, come to the slightly more awkward texts. Again, Jesus is coming here going okay. Your text. Satan is completely out of context, but even if we just go with that for a second, let's just forget that it's out of context. It's, it's two lines from scripture, so we're going to take it seriously. 

[00:22:13] Here's the problem. Here's another line from scripture that says that the way you're using that text, even out of context, still doesn't work. So like it's actually, it's actually quite a fascinating model on biblical interpretation that Jesus has presented. To the states. I mean, would you, does that support what you're saying? 

[00:22:33] John: Oh, I, I think so. Absolutely. And I think it's, it's again, the magnificence of Jesus understanding what is really being asked of him  

[00:22:45] and then finding a way to both challenge the interpretation of that idea, but also establish a. So, so, there is a sense in which 

[00:22:59] Psalm 91 does talk about this amazing protection of the Lord and angels catching us. 

[00:23:04] And, and, and we, we do lean into that. We, we want to believe that, but actually the greater idea Jesus is saying is, well, you're Muslim. Put the Lord to the test. And you go well, okay then. Well, what does that mean? So, so in what way is the Lord being put to the test? So that's the, so when I'm reading, I'm going, oh, okay. 

[00:23:24] Jesus is clearly responding to something here that doesn't seem obvious in the original Sam quote. So, so what's the T what's what's going on here. If Jesus has been, is thinking about jumping off, why would that be a test to the. And of course that enables us to then look at not just what he quotes, but how he calls. And that's exactly your point there. High, he quotes the scripture is really, really important. And again, he is quoting Deuteronomy six, so he quoted Deuteronomy six in the second temptation and the Luke version and he quotes it again. And of course what's really interesting in a Deuteronomy six 16 quote that, let me just read it for you. 

[00:24:11] So again, And our previous episode, we land into verse 13 fear the Lord, or worship the Lord and serve him only. And then we follow on from that. And it says these words, I'll just repeat verse 14, David help our listeners. It says Deuteronomy six, 14, do not follow other gods. The gods of the peoples around you for the Lord, your God, who is among you is a jealous God. 

[00:24:36] And his anger will burn against you. And he will destroy you from the fierce. Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Oz, you did art. Okay. So again, this here's here, here, we're starting to piece together the value of tracing the original quote. So if you just tick the Lukin quote here, in fact, in the first temptation, it's the him in the first temptation, Jesus says, man, shall not live by bread alone. 

[00:25:06] And he doesn't fill in the second part of the quote we've we've learned to go back and fill. But by every month of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, see them happens here. It is a partial quote of the text. So when you go back to the Deuteronomy text, do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Mussar. 

[00:25:25] Well, what happened at masters? So we pick up the bread crumb. The event of Mussar is Exodus chapter 17, and an Exodus chapter 17. You've got. Extraordinary moment where the people are thirsty and they cry out for water and water comes out of the rock, but, but here's, here's the drop lane. Okay. So, so verse seven of Exodus 17. 

[00:25:55] All right. So the waters come out of the rock. Everyone's everyone's good. And it says this and he called the police Masa unmarried. Because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord sane is the Lord among us or not. Now when I saw that, that was the light bulb moment. So remember where this is taking place. 

[00:26:26] This test is taking place on the roof of the holiest of Holies, which is the physical. Symbol of the presence of God. See it. Now Noah has asked Jesus to jump off and the expectation that the father, that the angels will catch him. Jesus responds by quoting Torah saying don't put the Lord your God to the test. 

[00:26:51] The full quote is Masa. What happened at Masa? They cried out not just for why. The issue wasn't they were thirsty. God wouldn't judge people because they're thirsty, but in their thirst, they said, the Lord has left us. That's the test. Right? So in many ways, Jesus refusal to jump off the temple is not doting the father's ability to catch him, but he is affirming the presence of the father when. Does that mean if you're connected the Masa to the test, to the temple, you're going, whoa, hold on a minute. Th this is, this is the Seton is trying to get Jesus to move away from. This idea that the Lord is with them. No, you you've built that argument brilliantly in that the father has already affirmed Jesus. 

[00:27:53] You are my son. I love you with you and well pleased. So we've got that. He's been led by the spirit, into the wilderness. He we've got that, but here's the, and saying, you sure is he really with you because if you jump, this would be a way of proving that he's really with you. And Jesus is actually saying I won't put them to the task because he has.  

[00:28:15] David: Yeah, there is no space to test. I mean, you think about it's Jesus, it's Emmanuelle. It's God with us. It's you know, it's the one, the one test you don't want to have to engage in. It's unnecessary to engage in is, has got abandoned us. You know what I mean? What a great. What a great word for even this period of history, John, I mean, that's worth the price of the podcast alone. 

[00:28:38] John: Absolutely.  

[00:28:38] David: that, just that, that, that, that sense that, that you don't, you don't. There's this level that this, this test and the devil is actually unnecessary because I do not need to know that  

[00:28:51] John: Yes.  
 

[00:28:52] David: I, because I do know that and therefore I do not need to, I don't, I don't need a tested symbol on that. 

[00:28:57] We know that God is with us and cannot abandon us. I'm thinking of thinking. The lane later in Timothy in the new Testament with the, the Lord cannot be unfaithful, it's, it's, it's just not in the makeup of the God that we, that we find. And of course revealed to us in the Jesus who stood here, the roof of the temple and what a great. 

[00:29:15] What a great connection. If that's not more evidence as to why you need to follow the rabbit holes of these texts sometimes to go well, what is that? Let me go read the text that that's from. Oh, wait a minute. That alludes to another text. Let me go read that story and you find yourself down there going, wow. 

[00:29:30] There's some weight in what Jesus has responded to the  

[00:29:33] John: I, and again, again, we, we w we don't want to give too much credit to the enemy, but you do realize this is a bit more sophisticated than it looks. This is, this is not just, Hey, that's have a miracle. This is Pearl beam at the same time. Is the presence of God, enough for you? 

[00:29:53] Are you truly confident that he is with. 

[00:29:56] And of course all of us have had those moments where, because we're not sure the Lord's with is what, what do we do? We reach for a second. Lord show me you're with me. Lord,  

[00:30:06] David: Yeah,  

[00:30:07] John: give me a saying Lord. Yeah. 

[00:30:08] absolutely. Lord. I'm going to open up the Bible and stick my finger in it and you're going to speak to me or Lord, let somebody call me now. 

[00:30:14] Listen, I ain't, they're all just stuff we've all done. And, and I don't want anyone that again, not hear what we're saying. We're not criticizing anybody, but the point is there. So if we lean back into the test, the point is, is that once you start to question his presence, you start to look for. You start, you start to then lean into, well, if I jump and he catches. That's a sign he's with me. Right. But actually what Jesus has coming back to, I don't need to see anything. I don't need to feel anything. He is with me. He has spoken to me. He leads me. And I'm going to stand resolutely. And ironically, he's making that declaration in the place that symbolizes the very presence of God on earth, the holiest of Holies, which of course beautifully the gospel writers say he ultimately is the total fulfillment than supersede in of that very idea in himself. So there's all whole bunch of amazing ideas collating on the top of that building right there. And and and It's an amazing response from Jesus and one that speaks relevantly, I think to us in the 20%. 

[00:31:27] David: And there's a intertestamental Jewish tax. Some people would refer to it as apocryphal, a tax called the wisdom of Solomon. Not, not in church history. 

[00:31:36] Has it been, in the early church, they considered it an interesting text, but it wasn't considered an inspired text by the early church fathers. Neither was it by. By Jewish people, but it's a tax that would have been well-known at the time of Jesus, it would have been in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the old Testament. 

[00:31:54] So we, we see evidence in all of the new Testament ratings that they're aware of the apocryphal texts, but there's this little interesting line in in chapter two of this tax called the wisdom of Solomon, the writer is reflecting on the behavior of the ungodly and particular. Particularly reflecting on the fact that what the ungodly do is they persecute the ratio, the righteous it's just, it's just, but it gets to the point that one of the things that righteous and it's really interesting, this is one of the things the ungodly do to the righteous is they test them and they test them in three. 

[00:32:26] And it says this, it says, let us see if his words are true. This is the ungodly. Speaking of the righteous man, let us see if his words are true. Let us test what will happen at the end of his life. For if the righteous man is God's child, God will help him and deliver him from the hand of his adversities. 

[00:32:44] So let us test him with insult and torture so that we may find out how gentle he is and make trial of his forbearance. So it's interesting. The three tests are, is he speaking the truth? What do we do when he faces death and is he God's child. Right. And so, so the, so there's this idea around there, like, so, just to help people the step two, again, the Greek translation is commonly known by the time of Jesus. 

[00:33:11] It's the version of the. Guy on the street is using, so they are aware of this text. So it just is interesting that there's this sort of like, what does the ungodly do to the righteous? Are you speaking the truth? How will you, what will you do if you face death and, and are you God's childlike you claim to be so I don't know. 

[00:33:31] It just, it just is one of those little kind of, Ooh. Okay. That's interesting. 

[00:33:34] John: Brilliant. I mean, I've never, ever heard or seen that before. So I have learned something today. And of course, why not? In the context of this, all of this, all of the arguments and ideas that are flying around in the time of Jesus, isn't it, isn't it amazing that there is a parallel in these 10 patients to those ideas on. 

[00:33:55] And is that something that is another beautiful colored texture you want underneath? What looks like a fairly straightforward story? Jesus wilderness, Jesus sort of God, Jesus tempted devil tries to when Jesus wins, one level, it's a very, very, very simple scenario, but we have sort of our hope. 

[00:34:18] Sure. Over the last few episodes, my goodness, you start drilling down into this. And it is simply colossal. It's awesome. It truly does inspire us and, and thrill us in so many ways.  

[00:34:31] David: Am I thinking of. If you were to, you're reading this as a first century reader, you've been schooled in step two. Again, you've raised reading the Greek old Testament. So, the wisdom of Solomon it's talked about in the street, it's, people are aware of it. And then somebody tells you the story about conversation, even between two people in which one of the people. Tasks, whether the person's words are true, threatens them with the end of their life asks if they're God's child, even without the character names, if you've been raised in this sort of wisdom tradition, you'll go, oh, wait a minute. 

[00:35:02] I know who the bad guy in this story is because what you've just described to me is what I've been told since I was a little kid, is what ungodly people do to righteous. So, so there's, this is just this little nuance on this story that you can tell who the bad guy in the good guy is. If you're a first century reader, I think that's quite, that's quite, quite fascinating. 

[00:35:23] Really? Isn't it. 

[00:35:24] John: Totally. I, as I say, I, I, I've never seen that. I've never come across that before. That is really, really insightful. And again, another example of, of high the, the biblical text will not ignore or ease. Affirm and confirm some even wider ideas out there that somehow all start to thread in and show actually, even in a waiter wisdom conversation. 

[00:35:51] This seems to affirm this particular idea and this particular belief system on the, on, I do love that. And again, it shows us that, that in this story, there is, there is much more than meets the eye. In the context of both Jesus as God and flesh what the devil is trying to achieve and what we learned from this amazing encounter in the wilderness and remembering of course, in all of it, Jesus is fasting. 

[00:36:21] And all of this is happening and Jesus hasn't touched bread for 40 days only had hard water probably, and it's probably going to take another six weeks to physically recover from the fast in alone that he's just injured. So when you realize. The physical condition and vulnerability of Jesus. 

[00:36:41] The fact that he is about to begin a ministry that will change the world, but we'll leave him often isolated and misunderstood. It is, it is a remarkable episode and a remarkable encounter. And one that I think his followers of Jesus should cause us to just in awe and wonder worship him even more, not only as our savior, but also in many respects as our leader and example in how we walk before him and with.  

[00:37:10] David: I think that that side of the story is, is, I mean, I hope we've had a chance over the kind of few episodes before we now jump into Jesus going into a different type of challenge in the synagogue, at, at home. But I also, couple of things, just, I want to squeeze in John one, which we've referred to in a few times throughout this episode, but I don't miss the significance of it. 

[00:37:33] There is a question of foot in this temptation and perhaps all of the temptations about how to read scripture and, and there's almost a set of lesson of be very careful. To read scripture in a decontextualized way. That is important. Actually, I think that's a point that Luke is trying to make it the very next story. 

[00:37:55] Let's loop back to this. When we get to the synagogue, the same question is asked. Jesus is like, well, how do you read this text? Right? If, if you really want to do your homework, go back to, go back to two texts.com and look for the, the season two episode called suddenly a woman on Luke 13 and, and just, you can go and listen to it in full it's, a Phenomenal text. But think about what happens in that text. A woman turns up she's not well, and the question becomes, how do we read scripture as to whether we're allowed to help this woman or not? 

[00:38:26] So Luke is sort of setting up some sort of insight into Jesus's whole ministry that he's going to come and teach us how to read the Bible properly.  

[00:38:34] John: Yeah.  

[00:38:34] David: Therefore, you have to read the Bible through a Jesus lens. You have to, as a Christian, you have to come to this text and go, I could use this text to mean this particular thing as the devil does, or I can read it through the lens that Jesus gives me. 

[00:38:49] So I think there's questions for us when we read particular texts and we see this regularly, people read texts in ways that can be quite harmful. I think. Anyone engaging with scripture. It's worth asking the question, but does this sound like how Jesus would read this  

[00:39:05] John: Mm.  
 

[00:39:06] David: The devil quotes the words of the father to the word of God and he does it badly. 

[00:39:12] So let's not think that we can't do this. Let's not think that it's not possible for us to court the words of scripture in such a way that bring harm and damage and pain to others. So like there's actually a principle that's quite deeply rooted in these temptations stories that I think Bible readers should take seriously, and and if you're not sure how to interpret the text, I would say, do your best to interpret it in the best way you can. That sounds like something Jesus would say. 

[00:39:41] John: Absolutely. Absolutely. 

[00:39:43] And, and of course at the heart of it, David and you're Absolutely. 

[00:39:46] 100%. Right. And it's coming to the secret text and asking the question, Lord, what do you want? Not. do I want? And if we come to the text with a humble heart surrender to say, I am willing to hear what this has to say to me. 

[00:40:04] Even if it challenges the very core of my worldview or my aspirations or my desires. We are leaning back into something that I think Jesus models here in this temptation discourse, we're leaning into a life that is actually truly free and a life that could truly become everything it was destined to become by, by God himself, because we are prepared to stay within the boundary of what he means. 

[00:40:33] And he wants rather than seek to reinterpret his word and image into what we want and we desire. And and I think that's the, that's the never-ending tussle of the journey towards him and his fierce as we seek the love Hammond.  

[00:40:51] David: Yeah, I just want to throw in this one last little comment. This is from a commentary by you still Conzalez and perhaps this rounds things out well, for us . He says this entire passage, the one that we've just read reminds us of the temptation of Adam in the. 

[00:41:07] But the string of quotes from Deuteronomy with which Jesus responds reminds us of the testing of Israel in the wilderness. This is thus, and you're going to love this. Thus, the entire story of the Exodus and the wanderings in the wilderness becomes a typological access. Showing that from ancient times, God was beginning to undo the. 

[00:41:32] That was done in the fall.  

[00:41:35] John: Beautiful. This  

[00:41:36] David: And of course it reaches its culmination in Jesus. That what we're seeing here is the beginning of the end of evils rain.  

[00:41:45] John: Beautiful.