40: The Temptation of ChristSýnishorn

3. Not Bread Alone

When Jesus is tempted by Satan to turn the many rocks surrounding him in the barrenness into bread to quench his hunger, Jesus answers, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." The idea behind fasting is twofold. First, it strips away all the worldly consumption and fulfillment available to us by carnal means. This isn't limited to the food we eat, but should also extend to all the things from which we tend to gain fulfillment. Second, in lieu of your typical consumptive fare we are instructed to quench our hunger through prayer and "consuming" the written word. 

Jesus' denial here is a call to denial within ourselves as well. With command over the earth and the entire physical realm, Jesus most likely could have turned the stones into bread — scholars debate what he gave up to become man (Phil 2:7). He did not out of obedience to the Father but also to exercise restraint and complete faith in God the father. Our lives are not about what we acquire. We, too, are called to disciplined lives of restraint, denying ourselves, and a commitment to holiness. We do this by imitating Jesus' restraint here in the face of Satan's temptation to seek fulfillment apart from what God has allocated.  

Second Corinthians 4:18 tells us, "So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." In understanding that what we ultimately desire cannot be satisfied by bread alone but on the things of God, we learn to turn away from those momentary fulfillments that only leave us empty, void, and craving more. Rather, we are to set our minds on what is unseen and eternal. In resisting this temptation Jesus shows us the way forward.

Talk It Over:

1. What tends to represent the bread in this temptation for you? 

2. In what conditions, circumstances, or maybe even relationships do you feel these hunger pangs most acutely?

3. What measures or practices can you put into place to help you turn to Scripture and prayer during such times of temptation?