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Not on Bread Alone

           Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

          This is Jesus’s answer to the temptation to turn stones into bread. As I think about this, some questions come to mind. Some of them are rabbit trails with no answers. Scripture tells us that Herod tried to kill Jesus within two years of His birth, and the family fled to Egypt. There is no reliable record of what happened until He remained in Jerusalem and His parents had to go back for Him, and then nothing more until His baptism, after which He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Did God tell Satan “Hands off!” while Jesus was growing up, so that He and his family only experienced what might be considered normal difficulties and temptations? No answer. What is clear is that after Jesus was baptized, the protection was removed. The Holy Spirit specifically led Him into the wilderness to be tempted.

          We aren’t told why Jesus didn’t eat. Was He told not to? Was it some idea He had? Yes, Jesus is God but prior to the temptation, what would have been the problem with His turning the stones to bread? It must have been planned, agreed upon, or commanded that He not eat, otherwise, why hadn’t He?

          But here’s an odd thing. Jesus’s response to the devil’s temptation had little to do with the temptation. Yes, Jesus was hungry, and yes, the devil mentioned turning stones into food, but the heart of the temptation was “if you are the Son of God.” This is precisely the sort of nonsense that atheists spout when they talk of our proving God exists or God proving that He exists. It actually does answer the devil’s challenge because God’s Word had already proclaimed Him to be the Son of God in whom the Father was well-pleased. Jesus was holding on to that rather than on his ability to prove Him to anyone including Himself.

          And that is something we all need to do: believe what God has told us rather than on the temptations to try to prove ourselves.

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