Truly Living

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

TRULY LIVING

Luke 4:3-4

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" 

NIV

Jesus is quoting from what Moses told the children of Israel before they were about to cross over the Jordon into the land of Canaan. He was giving them his last instructions as he was not to go with them. The Gospel of Matthew records the complete quote which Luke does not. The rest of what Moses said was, “But on every word that comes from the mouth of God”.  The whole of the lesson was that God led them into the desert for forty years, to humble them and to test them in order to know what was in their heart, whether or not they would keep his commands. He humbled them, causing them to hunger and then he fed them with manna, which neither they nor their fathers had known, to teach them that man does not live in bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Jesus had not eaten anything and he was hungry and the devil brought the temptation of bread. Of course both the devil and Jesus knew who Jesus was so it was not about proving he was Jesus, but about the temptation of the bread to relieve his hunger. As the children of Israel were led into the desert for forty years, so was Jesus led into the desert for forty days. Both were hungry and God fed the children of Israel bread, so the devil wanted Jesus to provide himself with bread. But was this the lesson? Of course we need bread, in essence food, to sustain life. So many lessons about using scripture to overcome temptations have been taught which certainly bear much truth, but could there be one more lesson that is not commonly thought about? Although bread certainly sustains our earthly life, it is every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord which will give and sustain us in eternal life. This may well be the lesson Jesus is telling the devil and demonstrating to us. First we can learn that God may lead us through some difficult times to test our hearts, to see it we will continue to obey and trust him, but he will also provide for us. If we look to ourselves for the bread, that is our own efforts, our own abilities we have failed the test, our hearts are not focused on God, but on ourselves. We have proven we do not trust him in his leading us, even if it is into difficult times. Secondly, it is every word that comes from his mouth which is where our trust should be and if that is our heart than we pass the test. It is not about the Lord providing every whim and fancy of ours, with material things, although he certainly cares for us and makes sure we have what is needed to live in this life, and at times more then we need. But that is not a transcultural or trans-society truth. Some people in other countries other cultures can live for God and in huts with dirt floors. Some people in our very country can love God and be homeless. Some believers have far more than we do, and some have far less than we do in the material sense, bread. But we all, no matter how much or how little bread we have need every word that comes from the mouth of God if we are to have life eternal, where all believers will be the same, praising God. We do not truly live on bread, true life requires the words of God.