Matthew 4

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Charles Wilson
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Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:13 am

Matthew 4

Post by Charles Wilson »

In reviewing a Post I made on another site on Matthew 7 - "Enter through the Narrow Gate" - I realized that a Theme has been repeated and this Theme may offer an explanation of the beginning of Matthew 4 (RSV):

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
[2] And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.
[3] And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."
[4] But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
[6] and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you,'
and `On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
[7] Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;
[9] and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."
[10] Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.'"
[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Matthew 7 has several "Jokes" on events that have taken place. The Story appears to be based on the Josephan telling of the creation of Caesarea. Herod sells the furniture, gives the proceeds to Petronius in Egypt and buys grain which he gives to the populace. The "giving of the grain" changes opinion of the Jews towards Herod. Hence the verse in Mark 9:

[42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Herod does throw "...millstones of a donkey" into the sea to create the Safe Harbor at Caesarea.

One of the "Jokes" in Matthew 7:

[9] Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

With this Motif in mind, look at Matthew 4.

1. "And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry"

"Jesus" is fasting.
The Transvaluation of famine has turned starving into a thing to be desired.

2. "[3] And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."
[4] But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Again , the Transvaluation. Herod will distribute the grain to all. To the Pious, however, it is a Trap. Herod is doing this for his glory, not the Glory of God. Caesarea has been built to provide a Safe Harbor, turning stones into bread and it would be better to starve than to glorify Herod. Herod has also, for example, opened the Temple on the anniversary of his ascension. You worship God and Herod on the same day. This is blasphemous.
***
The rest of this sets up as a catalog of the Unclean Rulers.

Matthew 4: 5 (RSV):

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

See Josephus, War..., 2, 1, 1:

"...he [Archelaus] put on a white garment, and went up to the temple, where the people accosted him with various acclamations. He also spake kindly to the multitude from an elevated seat and a throne of gold, and returned them thanks for the zeal they had shown about his father's funeral, and the submission they had made to him, as if he were already settled in the kingdom..."

Which leads to the Condemnation of Rome again:

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;
[9] and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

I suddenly gotta go right now - Apologies! - but the important entrance to this is:

"If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

CW
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