A turn on turning stones to bread. A new understanding of the Devil's intention in Q 4.3 (original) (raw)

1996

Abstract

The Devil's challenge to Jesus at Q 4.3 about stones and bread is not that Jesus should act as a thamaturge and, using power that he possesses as Son of God, himself work a miracle. For there is no assumption within the Q temptation story that Jesus has the power to work miracles, let alone that he, as Son, can or should use such power. Rather, when the challenge is set within its proper thematic and theological context, the story of the testing in the wilderness of God's Son Israel as elucidated in Deut. 6-8, it can be seen to be a demand that Jesus order God to perform a miracle for him, which if taken up, would involve Jesus not in proving to himself or others that he is the Son of God, but in denying that a particular pattern of Sonship characterized by being merciful as God is merciful is really what God has ordained for him.

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