Cardenas P6 Unit 2

Gary Levi 10-23-15 Cardenas P6 Unit 2 Final Assessment By relating the account of The Temptations in his gospel, Matthew attempts to teach us of the human in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is tempted by power, selfishness, and status while fasting in the desert for forty days and forty nights. Obstacles that are constantly tempting humans, which the author inserted to show that we are similar to Jesus, tempted him. Matthew attempts to portray Jesus as the one who will fulfill the prophecies of the messiah that are referenced in the Old Testament. He believes Jesus to be the Son of God, who is completely divine but also a human being. To understand Matthew’s view of Jesus, one has to analyze the text and read the

People, throughout all of time, have been susceptible to the attraction of power, status, and selfishness. The Devil chooses to tempt him with these things because they would usually attract a human, but Jesus is able to refrain because of his divinity and humanity. The Devil’s first temptation went as follows, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Mt 4:3 New Oxford Annotated Bible) This asks Jesus to take care of his own needs, rather than wait for the Lord to fulfill them. Jesus was being tempted to doubt God, which humans often do. We often choose to blame God for our own mistakes, and forget to reflect on all that he has truly done for us. Jesus responds by stating that man lives off of God’s word. Next Jesus is asked to throw himself off of the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem so that Angels will catch him, proving that he is the Son of God. The Devil already knows of who Jesus truly is, and his purpose is not actually to decipher Jesus’ power. The Devil’s hope is that he can trick Jesus into testing God, which he fails to do. We are all guilty of testing God, especially when we are in desperate need of something. It is as if we expect God to appear before us and help us, when that is not the case. God often helps us with our mistakes, even when we do not realize it. Too often, we blame God for the negatives in our lives, yet give him no glory for the positives. For his final

It excellently shows how Jesus was both human and divine. I believe Jesus to be the Son of God who, through events such as the temptations and his baptism, was able to understand his purpose and calling in life. He was a naturally divine being who, even before realizing how unique he was, stayed faithful and without sin. While understanding that Jesus was in fact a human being, it is very important to remember that he embodied the Lord and so he was not just man but also