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Pages 27-31 - The Way-40
Days of Reflection (Daily Devotion Guide)
Days of Reflection (Daily Devotion Guide)
Tempted by Food
Then Jesus was led up by
the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted
forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. The tempter came and said
to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted
forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. The tempter came and said
to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But he answered, “It is
written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4).
written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4).
I weighed myself this
morning. I was one pound heavier than yesterday. How did that happen? Ugh! It’s
a constant battle in my life. Do I eat that extra piece of pizza? Do I grab a
handful of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms from the jar by my desk? Do I super-size
it or accept the smallest regular size? And yes, I’ll take my cake a la mode.
morning. I was one pound heavier than yesterday. How did that happen? Ugh! It’s
a constant battle in my life. Do I eat that extra piece of pizza? Do I grab a
handful of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms from the jar by my desk? Do I super-size
it or accept the smallest regular size? And yes, I’ll take my cake a la mode.
I struggle daily with
the temptation of food. The percentage of Americans who are overweight tells me
that I’m not alone.
the temptation of food. The percentage of Americans who are overweight tells me
that I’m not alone.
Immediately after
hearing the voice of the Father saying he was God’s Beloved Son, Jesus left
John and the Jordan behind and made His way to the wilderness to fast and pray
for forty days. The wilderness of Judea is breathtakingly beautiful. It is a
desert made up of mountains and hills and hundreds ravines cut by rivers that
flow when the rains come. Caves line the walls of the ravines and the sides of
the mountains. Once, thousands of monks lived in those caves; the few monks
were who still live there can be found in one of the handful of monasteries built
into those mountainsides.
hearing the voice of the Father saying he was God’s Beloved Son, Jesus left
John and the Jordan behind and made His way to the wilderness to fast and pray
for forty days. The wilderness of Judea is breathtakingly beautiful. It is a
desert made up of mountains and hills and hundreds ravines cut by rivers that
flow when the rains come. Caves line the walls of the ravines and the sides of
the mountains. Once, thousands of monks lived in those caves; the few monks
were who still live there can be found in one of the handful of monasteries built
into those mountainsides.
Jesus came to the desert
to fast for forty days, just as Moses and Elijah had done centuries before Him.
Fasting is difficult because food is our most basic of needs. Our brains are
wired to be looking constantly for the next meal. Fasting is a way of
redirecting our focus from food to God. It is a way of reminding ourselves that
we “do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.
to fast for forty days, just as Moses and Elijah had done centuries before Him.
Fasting is difficult because food is our most basic of needs. Our brains are
wired to be looking constantly for the next meal. Fasting is a way of
redirecting our focus from food to God. It is a way of reminding ourselves that
we “do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.
The devil came to Jesus
near the end of His fast. I doubt that the devil appeared in the physical form;
instead, he probably came as he does when tempting and testing us, through a
whisper or thought planted in our brain that will not let us go. The temptation
was for Jesus to break His fast and eat. It was food the tempter tested Him
with, just as he tested Adam and Eve in the Garden long before.
near the end of His fast. I doubt that the devil appeared in the physical form;
instead, he probably came as he does when tempting and testing us, through a
whisper or thought planted in our brain that will not let us go. The temptation
was for Jesus to break His fast and eat. It was food the tempter tested Him
with, just as he tested Adam and Eve in the Garden long before.
Interpreters have seen
much more in this temptation. The devil twice remarked, “If you are the Son of
God…,” as if Jesus’ struggle was whether he really believed what God had said at
the Jordan River. This is precisely how the devil tempted Adam and Eve: “Did
God really say not to eat the fruit of this tree?” (Genesis 3:1). Perhaps
Jesus’ real temptation was to use His power to alleviate the hunger he felt,
just as later He was tempted to use His power to avoid the cross. Maybe the
devil was planting a seed in His mind that if He could turn stones to bread, He
might also win followers while bypassing the cross. All of these thoughts may
have been a part of the temptations that day.
much more in this temptation. The devil twice remarked, “If you are the Son of
God…,” as if Jesus’ struggle was whether he really believed what God had said at
the Jordan River. This is precisely how the devil tempted Adam and Eve: “Did
God really say not to eat the fruit of this tree?” (Genesis 3:1). Perhaps
Jesus’ real temptation was to use His power to alleviate the hunger he felt,
just as later He was tempted to use His power to avoid the cross. Maybe the
devil was planting a seed in His mind that if He could turn stones to bread, He
might also win followers while bypassing the cross. All of these thoughts may
have been a part of the temptations that day.
Ultimately, as I read
this temptation, I remember that Jesus was tempted by the very thing I struggle
with each day. He had the self-control to say no to the devil’s whispers, to
neither break His fast nor use His powers for self-preservation. Jesus reminded
Himself and the devil that we don’t live by bread alone. We live by the words
that proceed from the mouth of God. This, in the end, is the point of fasting.
this temptation, I remember that Jesus was tempted by the very thing I struggle
with each day. He had the self-control to say no to the devil’s whispers, to
neither break His fast nor use His powers for self-preservation. Jesus reminded
Himself and the devil that we don’t live by bread alone. We live by the words
that proceed from the mouth of God. This, in the end, is the point of fasting.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for revealing the story of
Your temptations to the disciples, who shared those stories with us. It is good
to know that You, struggled with temptation. Help me in my struggles with the
tempter. Amen.
Your temptations to the disciples, who shared those stories with us. It is good
to know that You, struggled with temptation. Help me in my struggles with the
tempter. Amen.
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