Thoughts on Matthew 4:1-11, When Jesus Was Tempted

"Command these stones to turn to bread.”

It seems like a pretty good idea, plus it would be a good marketing strategy. Jesus could tell the crowds, “I’m hungry, you’re hungry… let’s have dinner and have a nice chat about your souls.”

In fact, Jesus did feed crowds of people miraculously with loaves and fishes, and it made him popular, as did his power to heal the sick.  And it was all good—it just wasn’t good enough, and the crowds faded when food was gone, which Jesus knew would happen.

Jesus' reply to Satan was actually a statement to us:  “One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Filling the stomach does not necessarily feed the soul. Oh, it’s pretty crucial when you don’t have any, but many of us have more than enough; to the point where we have to struggle to keep the weight down. Yet even when there’s plenty of food, we can feel lonely, empty, and unhappy.

For that matter, wealth doesn’t spare us from misery, and neither does excitement and entertainment (although I would like to have seen Jesus jump off a cliff and fly around). 

Jesus wanted to put us in touch with God, so we could find true satisfaction.

When I think of the word of God, I don’t think of a written page. Instead, I imagine the Father sitting close beside me, speaking into my ear, the words pouring directly into my heart, filling me up in a way that makes me calm and whole.

Perhaps the purpose of fasting is to remove distraction so we can focus fully on that word from God.