In chapter 15 (The Temptation to Violence) of "Jesus Before Christianity" the main theme is temptation. The Jews of Palestine had been waiting for a Messiah for sometime. They wanted a "king" to come along and take control of the political and military power and to restore the kingdom of Israel. There are two stories in this chapter exemplifying his struggle with resisting temptation. The first is the story of the "loaves and fishes" Jesus could tell that the 4-5,000 men there were like sheep with no Shepard. They wanted to come and make him there Messiah so he escaped, Jesus never rarely if ever referred to himself as the Messiah because he felt that it was a temptation of Satan which needed to be rejected. The second story is when Peter continues to refer to Jesus as the Messiah. The two get into a argument. Peter was mad at Jesus for not taking the chance at seizing power and becoming the Messiah. (Peter was playing the role of Satan aka the tempter). Jesus struggled throughout his life with this temptation of power and kingship. In today's society we are faced with temptations everyday it might not be as dramatic as becoming the Messiah or King but we must act like Jesus and think with a clear mind and resist the temptations.
---RAY O'C
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I think temptation plays a very important role in today's society. Yes it is not as stressful as becoming king or the messiah, but some people face real temptation that can put them in life or death situations. So many people today are tempted to feel accepted and are willing to do anything to fit in. Sometimes it can be dangerous and potentially harmful and others maybe a little innocent, but many fall to temptation and some never can get out.
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence of the summary reminds me of the saying, "What Would Jesus Do?" Like Ray said, we must try to think of all the temptations Jesus resisted when trying to resist our own. This summary helps to remind us that whatever we face, we are not alone because Jesus has faced it too. Like Molly said, I agree that temptation has an enormous impact on society. Everyone faces numerous temptations both large and small every day, and how we react to those temptations helps to define who we are.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the fact that temptation plays an important role into society. I find that temptation plays a great role in the lives of high school students. Everyday it seems like young high school students are faced with destructive decisions. They are constantly struggling with giving into temptation. Temptation will always be around us and it is upsetting to think about how many kids are giving into that temptation. I also agree with kelly about how resisting and giving into these temptations defines who we are and what kind of life we want to lead. It seems like more and more kids are losing that and giving into the temptations around them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that temptations are present in our everyday lives, especially as a high school student like Chelsea said. It is especially important for us to make good decisions at this time in our lives because it definitely decides the things we end up doing in the future, as well as how we live our lives. I believe that the decisions we make now define who we are and who we want to become. I like how Kelly mentioned that “we are not alone because Jesus has faced it too” because I think that is something that really helps. I do believe knowing that we are not alone, but that we have Jesus, friends, and family, we can be pushed in the right direction in making life choices. I truly believe that having good and trustworthy people with you along the way can really help steer you in the right direction. However, temptation is something that is hard to ignore. It is something that will always exist in our lives no matter what.
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