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Natalia Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: April 11 2006 at 9:27pm | IP Logged
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A Life or Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt.
On page 39 she writes:
"Now, the Devil hated our Lord particularly, because our Lord was holy
and because the Devil knew that there was something special about Him,
although Jesus had not let the Devil find out that He was God"
I have never heard this. I always thought that the Devil knew that Jesus was the Son of God and that is why he was tempting him.
Then she goes on and retells the three temptations in the dessert. At least twice Satan addresses Jesus saying "If you are the Son of God..."
Can somebody tell me what is she basing this assumption on? Is she accurate? If he didn't know, when did he find out?
Thanks,
Natalia
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kingvozzo Forum All-Star
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Posted: April 11 2006 at 10:53pm | IP Logged
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I have heard this before. Part of the reason for the temptation was because Satan did not KNOW that Jesus was the Son of God. I don't know if this is accepted theology, but I have heard of it.
I'll be interested to hear other responses.
__________________ Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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Michaela Forum All-Star
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Posted: April 11 2006 at 11:31pm | IP Logged
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Natalia, I have also heard this before.
Here is the explanation from an apologists at Catholic Answers (not the question asked, but the answer the apologist gives touches on your question) temptation of Christ
I hope this is helpful to you.
__________________ Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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Erin Forum Moderator
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Posted: April 11 2006 at 11:46pm | IP Logged
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Natalia
I believe I read this in the City of God that Our Lord dictated to Mary of Agreda. As my memory goes..The devil knew that Jesus was somebody very powerful against him and certainly felt that he was a threat to him. This is why he attacked and tempted him.
However God did not allow the devil to realise that He was indeed God Himself. OurLord was surrounded by angels protecting Him from Conception!
Now my memory may be faulty. Somebody may know better than me, Jenn?
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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JennGM Forum Moderator
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Posted: April 12 2006 at 9:58am | IP Logged
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MicheleQ will probably have the right document to pull up. I'll rumage around, but I don't have time until later today. I couldn't find anything in my brief look. But I do remember being taught this.
What I remember...probably incorrectly or jumbled . The devil only operates on natural knowledge. He's extremely intelligent and bright, but he can't read minds. Nor does he have divine grace to illuminate matters of faith. He has an excellent knowledge of Scripture, and so would have suspected that Jesus was the Messiah, but not know for sure. Jesus' life was confusing -- he took on the human form as a helpless baby and lived obscurely and in poverty, and had performed no miracles. Someone without the eyes of God could not think that would be the Messiah.
There's another related theory...The reason why Lucifer and the others would not serve is they were told that the angels that God would become man and they would have to worship Him as an infant. That was too much for their pride, and they banished themselves away from God. I don't think they would be looking for a poor Babe born in a stable....later a carpenter.
In simple terms, it would have taken grace to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, which Satan did not have. Satan needed verbal and tangible proof to recognize it.
Michele? Am I speaking heresy?
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Natalia Forum All-Star
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Posted: April 12 2006 at 9:15pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Noreen, Michaela and Jenn for your answers.
I told my kids something similar to what you guys have told me. I never
heard of this before and was wondering if it was something based on a concrete passage of the Bible or if it was something that came from Tradition or if it was the author's interpretation.
So,if Satan didn't know then, when did he find out?
THanks,
Natalia
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Erin Forum Moderator
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Posted: April 12 2006 at 11:11pm | IP Logged
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Natalia wrote:
So,if Satan didn't know then, when did he find out? |
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At the moment of Jesus' death. And how I have heard it was he went into a wild frenzy.
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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Mary G Forum All-Star
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Posted: April 13 2006 at 6:46am | IP Logged
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Do you remember that scene in the Passion? It was the CREEPIEST scene and therefore one of the most memorable.
I believe JennGM is right about the devil not knowing -- but he would have known that that Human (Jesus)was different than all others -- even more so than the BVM.And that God was going to send someone to defeat him....remember the prophecy in the Garden?
__________________ MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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JennGM Forum Moderator
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Posted: April 13 2006 at 7:04am | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
Do you remember that scene in the Passion? It was the CREEPIEST scene and therefore one of the most memorable.
I believe JennGM is right about the devil not knowing -- but he would have known that that Human (Jesus)was different than all others -- even more so than the BVM.And that God was going to send someone to defeat him....remember the prophecy in the Garden? |
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I was going to mention that the Passion of Christ movie illustrates this point quite well. Satan is trying to figure out Who Jesus is....that's the opening scene in the Agony of the Garden. But when Jesus dies...quite a scene, as Mary mentions. Gibson did take from the writings of Mary of Agreda which has some tradition with a small "t".
Mary and Jesus were definitely different, but they could have another *prophet*, like John the Baptist. Since these 3 were the only ones *born* without original sin, the devil must have perceived something different about them. He can't read souls, but how they responded to grace and not to temptation would have made him suspicious.
A tangent, but I wonder if the devil wondered about the Baptist, also.
I'll keep looking to find passages to support this.
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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MicheleQ Forum All-Star
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Posted: April 13 2006 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
MicheleQ will probably have the right document to pull up. I'll rumage around, but I don't have time until later today. I couldn't find anything in my brief look. But I do remember being taught this.
What I remember...probably incorrectly or jumbled . The devil only operates on natural knowledge. He's extremely intelligent and bright, but he can't read minds. Nor does he have divine grace to illuminate matters of faith. He has an excellent knowledge of Scripture, and so would have suspected that Jesus was the Messiah, but not know for sure. Jesus' life was confusing -- he took on the human form as a helpless baby and lived obscurely and in poverty, and had performed no miracles. Someone without the eyes of God could not think that would be the Messiah.
In simple terms, it would have taken grace to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, which Satan did not have. Satan needed verbal and tangible proof to recognize it.
Michele? Am I speaking heresy? |
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Not at all! You are correct and explained it very well in my opinion. I don't have the documentation at hand and have a very painful muscle spasm between my shoulder blades this morning that is preventing me from doing anything beyond sitting here and typing.
However, keep in mind Natalia that A Life or Our Lord for Children has an imprimatur from Cardinal Spellman in 1939. I can guarantee you it's solid.
Quote:
There's another related theory...The reason why Lucifer and the others would not serve is they were told that the angels that God would become man and they would have to worship Him as an infant. That was too much for their pride, and they banished themselves away from God. I don't think they would be looking for a poor Babe born in a stable....later a carpenter. |
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I've heard this too but like you wrote, it's a theroy.
We do not know the details of the fall of the angels though pretty much all theologians agree that it was most likely the sin of pride. Beyond that (and even in that) we are only guessing. Frank Sheed in his book "To Know Christ Jesus" writes that the angels may have fallen BEFORE they were admitted to the Beatific Vision - the direct seeing of God in which is all bliss. And this makes more sense to me in light of Scripture. I think that the actions of Satan in Scripture clearly show he was not certain who Jesus was.
OK pain is getting to me now. Gotta go.
God bless!
__________________ Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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