This explanation and the subsequent offerings provide so much insight. Jesus was flesh and blood at the time. How do we reject the imperialism, the cruelty of our current Ceasar?
I wish someone would remind Trump of the following:
“There was a rich man, Donald J. Trump, who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a person named “common man”, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the “common man” died and the angels carried him to God’s side. Donald J. Trump also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw God far away, with the “common man” by his side. So he called to him, ‘God, have pity on me and send the “common man” to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But God replied, ‘Donald, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while the “common man” received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, God, send the “common man” to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“God replied, ‘They have Jesus and the Holy Spirit; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, God,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Great message but asking my Pastor to bring it puts her in a difficult position. Just as the nation, our congregation is divided on Trump and could put her in hot water. It is up to us individuals to put forth the message.
Yes! I pray every day that those who seek power and money will be brought low and those who seek to serve their fellow man will be lifted up. I don’t know what else to do, other than dissent. God help us all!
Great post Diana. In addition to being galvanized to confront the corruption of political realities we must also do our inner work-confronting our own shadow materiel that is easily projected into the world. Jesus did both-the inner work joined with faithful action that leads to wholeness. Currently Bernie Sanders is acting as a public voice calling out those in the billionaire class who seek to destroy democracy for their own ends. Keep up the faithful witness!
AMEN and thank you, Pastor! (Don’t know who that picture is of, but it’s not moi, nor did I realize I’m now numbered as a contributor to Substack 🤷♂️🤷♂️)
Hi Diana. As a member of a inclusive ELCA congregation I read your writings with great interest. Today's conversation was no less interesting and no less frightening because I was starting to have the same thoughts earlier in the week when I started to meditate on the gospel in question. You're spot in here
Diana, as a Latin and Roman history student in my early days, I question the assumption that the Roman government (i.e., Caesar) would have supplied grain (and therefore bread) to its provinces like Judea and Jerusalem. I recall that the grain and bread were only for the people of Rome. I wonder if Luke's account of the temptation in his Hellenistic culture does harken back to this fact of bread distribution for the capital of empire. I appreciate your filling in another idea of the impact that Luke's gospel would have had on first century readers that 21st century readers miss.
Yes, I pray daily for the political system thrust upon us.
Thank you @Diana Butler Bass , for this extremely valid and helpful perspective.
Still, there is also a temptation to read the temptation story externally only.
It surely makes sense in our time. Trump offers the perfect foil. But America has had a superiority complex before and Christianity has been self righteous before also. The temptation to power, to be the best and greatest and richest nation, all this has been before.
I see Trump as a symptom of this complex, which at its core has a teleological question:
Who is your God? What do you value infinitely? Where is your heart? And what concerns you ultimately?
And those questions turn the question back to one's own wilderness indeed. May be both perspectives belong together?
This explanation and the subsequent offerings provide so much insight. Jesus was flesh and blood at the time. How do we reject the imperialism, the cruelty of our current Ceasar?
I wish someone would remind Trump of the following:
“There was a rich man, Donald J. Trump, who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a person named “common man”, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the “common man” died and the angels carried him to God’s side. Donald J. Trump also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw God far away, with the “common man” by his side. So he called to him, ‘God, have pity on me and send the “common man” to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But God replied, ‘Donald, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while the “common man” received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, God, send the “common man” to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“God replied, ‘They have Jesus and the Holy Spirit; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, God,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Thank you for saying these things.
Great message but asking my Pastor to bring it puts her in a difficult position. Just as the nation, our congregation is divided on Trump and could put her in hot water. It is up to us individuals to put forth the message.
Yes! I pray every day that those who seek power and money will be brought low and those who seek to serve their fellow man will be lifted up. I don’t know what else to do, other than dissent. God help us all!
Great post Diana. In addition to being galvanized to confront the corruption of political realities we must also do our inner work-confronting our own shadow materiel that is easily projected into the world. Jesus did both-the inner work joined with faithful action that leads to wholeness. Currently Bernie Sanders is acting as a public voice calling out those in the billionaire class who seek to destroy democracy for their own ends. Keep up the faithful witness!
AMEN and thank you, Pastor! (Don’t know who that picture is of, but it’s not moi, nor did I realize I’m now numbered as a contributor to Substack 🤷♂️🤷♂️)
Hi Diana. As a member of a inclusive ELCA congregation I read your writings with great interest. Today's conversation was no less interesting and no less frightening because I was starting to have the same thoughts earlier in the week when I started to meditate on the gospel in question. You're spot in here
Diana, as a Latin and Roman history student in my early days, I question the assumption that the Roman government (i.e., Caesar) would have supplied grain (and therefore bread) to its provinces like Judea and Jerusalem. I recall that the grain and bread were only for the people of Rome. I wonder if Luke's account of the temptation in his Hellenistic culture does harken back to this fact of bread distribution for the capital of empire. I appreciate your filling in another idea of the impact that Luke's gospel would have had on first century readers that 21st century readers miss.
Yes, I pray daily for the political system thrust upon us.
Thank you @Diana Butler Bass , for this extremely valid and helpful perspective.
Still, there is also a temptation to read the temptation story externally only.
It surely makes sense in our time. Trump offers the perfect foil. But America has had a superiority complex before and Christianity has been self righteous before also. The temptation to power, to be the best and greatest and richest nation, all this has been before.
I see Trump as a symptom of this complex, which at its core has a teleological question:
Who is your God? What do you value infinitely? Where is your heart? And what concerns you ultimately?
And those questions turn the question back to one's own wilderness indeed. May be both perspectives belong together?
Amazing. Thank you!
This is wonderful!! Thank you for your essential work!!
Amen
Aho. Amen. RESIST the evil dweeb in whatever form we encounter him/it.
Thank you for saying the truth out loud.
Such a great reflection of the text. Thank you!