By Bread Alone
by Hugh DeLong
We all have our favorite scriptures and concepts that we ‘religiously’ follow. We also all have some aspects of Jesus’ teaching that, because of our dispositions and/or situations, we ignore or set aside. In such situations, most of us ‘justify’ our actions.
Read this first temptation again as Luke records it! Jesus was tempted for 40 days. During these 40 days, he ate nothing. He became hungry! Do you think that may be a bit of an understatement?
Satan thus tempts him by exploiting his physical needs and situation. As an interesting side note, Satan’s “if you are the Son of God” is one of the Greek constructions that can be (and probably should be) “Since …”. Satan knows who He is! He knows who He is! Angels and Demons know who He is!
Such an idea came not from the Father, but from Satan! Such a miraculous provision of food to satisfy hunger did happen later (feeding 5000 and 4000). But this time, it is Satan’s word and not God’s!
Simple response: “And Jesus answered him, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone'" (Luke 4:4). Yea, but…. I can hear our response coming!
Go back and note the situation that prompted the original statement: "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him" (Deuteronomy 8:3-6).
They were hungry! God knew it – God brought the situation about! God would solve it and provide for them. Yet, in this situation, He let them be hungry! He let them be tempted with their reasoning and ‘needs.’
I write this to remind myself that God’s word is sure, steadfast, and complete. We must be very careful when our situation in life presents the temptation to set aside God’s word, when we would justify our disobedience to God’s revelation. Remind yourself again: How did Jesus handle such a situation? Are you following Jesus’ example? Do you understand that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord”?
