Overcoming Temptations - Lessons From Jesus’ LifeSýnishorn

The First Temptation of Christ 

At the heart of the first temptation is the question, where should one’s dependence lie? The temptation the devil puts forward at a time when Jesus was at a very vulnerable state was, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread”. There is, of course, nothing wrong with eating. We see over and over again Jesus Christ having a meal with the disciples, feeding the five thousand and the Eucharist itself involves food. But in this temptation we see the evil one prompting Jesus to make food the utmost priority. That rather than depending on the Father, to solely depend on Himself and act on his power as the son of God. To exercise control over the natural world apart from the Father. 

But we see Jesus (though in a vulnerable state) submitting Himself to the Father. He quotes from Deuteronomy that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He shows that though He has the power to exercise control over the natural world he would act only in submission to the Father. He chose dependence on God the Father over His basic instinct for food. 

Many times we feel like taking matters into our own hands. We feel that because we have the means to do it, we can do it. But dependence on God trumps everything else. Though we feel we have the resources to do a certain task or feel that we are capable enough by ourselves, we need to submit ourselves to what God wants us to do first and then proceed. In Mathew 6:33 Jesus says seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God is and should always be the one to whom we give our utmost loyalty—everything else proceeds from Him.