Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Temptation of Jesus in Isaiah 14

My three-year-old son receives a nice packet of songs and a memory verse each month from his Sunday School teachers. For April, the packet begins with these words:
During the month of April, we will be studying about the Temptations of Jesus. The lessons are in Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13.
Upon first reading this I was quite surprised by that first listed passage. Should I be bothered that my son's Sunday School teachers somehow are able to get a lesson about the "Temptation of Jesus" from Isaiah 14?

Well, I think I actually like it. I assume they're talking about the origins of Satan, and while I think there is nothing of Satan in Isaiah 14, much Christian tradition says there is. So, at the very least, they're relying on Christian tradition and grounding my son in it. But, also, they've found how to make a little-read section of the Bible relevant (sort of) to a three-year-old. Even if I would disagree with the interpretation, at least they're exposing him to a variety of scripture. 

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