Man shall not live by bread alone

 

Jesus, after his baptism by John, was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days and nights. After he concluded the fast, he was very hungry; then the devil came.

"If you are the son of God, why not turn these stones to bread?"

I mean, on a first thought:

"That's even true oo; I can turn stone to bread to eat. I don try; 40 days and nights no easy."

Right?

It was very logical; it made sense. It was the solution to his hunger staring him right in the face.

But what did Jesus say?

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Ow, that touched me! You mean, with the hunger of 40 days, you still chose not to succumb? I have done a 3-day marathon; I know how it can feel. But 40 days and 40 nights? That's another level!

Jesus did not only say that man should not live by bread alone, but also recommended what man should live by.

Key lessons

1. You are always tempted by your own desires (James 1:13-14):

It is that simple. Jesus was tempted by hunger because that was his desire. The Bible recorded that He was hungry (Matthew 4:2). Jesus could not have been tempted by women, because it was not his desire. It wouldn't matter how fair they looked; they wouldn't have moved him. The devil recognised that desire, and he repackaged it by saying: 

"If you are the Son of God, command these stones to turn to bread." (Matthew 4:3)

No desire, no temptation.

2. Bread is not bad, but it's not all there is to life (Matthew 4:4):

Jesus' response to the devil was a reference to the Old Testament book (Deuteronomy 8:3). He had read it, He knew it, and He understood it. You need bread to live as a man, but don't let that be the only way you live your life. It is dangerous. You have to understand that you can't stay on bread alone if you want to "live". 

Jesus was sharing this same idea with the Samaritan woman by the well (John 4:7-26). In verse 13 and 14, He clearly mentioned that if you drink of this water, you will thirst again, but the one I will give you will fill you up such that it will become a spring inside you, welling up to eternal life. How powerful!

3. The word that proceeds out of the mouth of God gives life (Matthew 4:4):

In creation, we see "And God said..." and the result, something new had come, a new life was born. It was always giving life. God breathed into the nostrils of man, and he became a living soul. If God speaks, then life follows. If God gives a vision, then life follows in the form of provision and wisdom to bring that vision to life. Following the Word of God is faith. That is what faith is. Faith is holding on to God's Word, and running by it. Whatever God says is true; I believe it, and I'll live my life based on that belief. And as a result, that's life. Check out all the heroes of faith in the Bible (Hebrews 11). They chose to lay hold of God's Word, and live their lives based on that, and the result? Life.

It may not make too much sense, especially to the natural man, but it is a superior way of life. I choose not to live by the bread that I see, but by the invisible words of God (Hebrews 11:3).

4. Your response to temptation is proof of your fast (Matthew 4:4):

The devil tempted Jesus with food, but He refused to fall. Have you ever asked why? Maybe you're thinking "Oh, it's Jesus now. What do you expect?" But have you forgotten that He was in flesh? He was in human form, just like you and I. Remember he was hungry, just like you and I. There had to be something that made it possible to be clear headed enough to say NO to the temptation. Fasting.

Fasting is actually a way to kill our fleshly desires, and go for the spiritual. As spirit beings, fasting helps us stay in tune. It helps us put spiritual things first, and prioritise God's desires above our own desires. Fasting is to kill the flesh. Now, Jesus' response to the temptation was proof of His fast. He was able to kill the flesh enough such that even at the temptation of food, He had the power to resist.

The way you break your fast shows whether you really fasted or not. Would you rush to break, or you'd be as calm as ever. Fasting is not hunger strike. It is consecration. The flesh did not have power over Him to decide for Him. He had power and control over His fleshly desires.

Final Thoughts

The word is clear: Man shall not live by bread alone. Yes, there may be things in our lives that seem as though we can't do without - money, food, clothing, internet, work, and so on. But Jesus is saying: It's not enough. You need to go for something more superior. Don't settle for bread when you can have the Word. His Word gives life.

Examine yourself: "Is God's Word superior in your life, or are you settling for bread?" 

Be sincere with yourself. And whatever the case is, go for God's Word above all things more than ever.

Shalom!