Bread

How can something that seems so harmless like bread be so wrong? 

This week, many of us had toast, a sandwich, a hot dog, or a hamburger. Some of us even took communion. 

Most of us did not give a second thought to whether the bread we ate caused us to sin.

After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness. For 40 days, Satan tempted Jesus. During that time, Jesus experienced loneliness, danger from wild animals, heat, and exhaustion in the same way you and I would.

Jesus also fasted.

When 40 days in the wilderness were over, Jesus was hungry. I cannot fathom the magnitude of Jesus' hunger. Going hungry without food, for more than 24 hours is a huge struggle for many. 

Satan attacks where we are weak. If there was ever a chance to bring Jesus down, this was Satan's chance. Satan said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." (Matthew 4:3)

After fasting 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus' most pressing urge was to feed His hungry body. 

What better way to make Jesus fall than to turn stone to bread. 

Jesus deserved to turn stone to bread, right? After all, He needed food. Also, wasn't it God who led Jesus to suffer in the wilderness? How can a loving God lead His Son to suffer and later deny Him the chance to have His needs met?  

Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, "It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

Making and eating bread are not wrong in themselves. However, not believing what God said is sin.

Here's the point. Turning stone to bread would have been an outward action that expressed an inward reality--trusting Satan more than the very words God had already spoken.

Right after Jesus was baptized, 40 days earlier, God the Father said, "This is my son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

Satan tried to make Jesus doubt those words that were spoken by God Himself. Satan tried to make Jesus doubt--whether He is the Son of God, whether God loved Him, and whether God was pleased with Him.

Jesus was confronted with the subtle tension of trusting what God already said versus turning the stone to bread in order to prove to Himself and others that what God said is true.

Jesus saw beyond His hunger. He saw beyond Satan masquerading as caring and compassionate.

In this moment, Jesus did not wallow in self-pity, feelings of entitlement, or even His own personal needs.

Jesus responded to Satan based on God's character, God's promises, and what God had already said. Jesus had a relationship with the Father that was real and intimate. 

Jesus' response came from the overflow of His inner reality with the Father. 

As a result, in a moment of temptation, in a moment where doubt could have entered the picture, and in a moment Jesus could have justified turning stone to bread, He chose to trust God. 

What about us? Are we able to distinguish God's voice versus Satan's voice. Does clutter in our lives prevent us from clearly hearing God? Do we find ourselves justifying to God, ourselves and others why we need to keep doing what appears to be good even when good things pull us away from God? 

Satan will do whatever he can to make us fall. One of his best strategies to bringing us down will be through good things. Good things for the wrong purpose, at the wrong time, or in the wrong place are the wrong things.

Who will you choose to follow? 

Is there something you keep justifying? Will you trust Jesus to help let that go? 

Are you struggling? 

What is your relationship with God through Jesus like? Are you daily spending time with Jesus? Are you growing in Him?

Choose Jesus.

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)