Day 8
Read All About It
Once the devil had started a battle of wits using the scriptures, Jesus was more than ready to take him on.
Jesus would have been taught by Mary, to learn the scriptures off by heart. Then at 8 years old , he would have attended lessons at the local Synagogue where he would have also learned to read and write. It is because of a boy’s Jewish education that Palestine became a semi-literate society . However, although boys were learning the scriptures in the Synagogue, the girls were not allowed to take part. Their tuition was from their mother only meaning few learned to read and write.
We can see by the devil’s actions, it is too easy to twist interpretation of Bible verses and what they mean. A mistake easily made when a verse is isolated from its context without explanation. If Jesus had not been so well versed, things could have been disastrous for humankind. The test was greater because the devil had put before Jesus very plausible temptations.
Like everything in life, relying on just one person’s point of view can be no good for us. Most misdemeanours start by hearing someone else’s view when we are feeling weak. Instead of walking away to regain our spiritual strength, we give in to temptation. That voice can come from anywhere, an advert on the TV, a phone call, spending time with someone you know will lead you into bad ways. It’s not all about food and drink though because we all know people who enjoy a good gossip and its too easy to join in. Temptation is so often portrayed as something dramatic but in reality, it leads to a down ward spiral and a significant deterioration of our Christian walk.