Necessity or Accessory?

 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:1-3

            The enemy tempted Jesus to prove His identity by using His powers to turn something of no value into something supposedly essential. The true nature of the devil’s temptations are revealed in Jesus’ responses. The enemy assumed that bread was essential – but Jesus counters, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4). Jesus is quoting from the book of Deuteronomy, when God addresses the Jews after forty years of desert wandering,

You shall remember … that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:2-3

The point of fasting is to test the heart. Can we rely on God alone and for a time, forgo physical gratification? God fed the Israelites with a substance they had never experienced before, manna. It was totally different from what they were used to, from what they believed was essential, and from what was “normal.” It showed them that not only is God’s provision enough, but that there is a much more important realm we live in than our physical desires; we are spiritual beings that require the spiritual nourishment that comes from God’s Word alone.

            Jesus would not waste using His power to turn a worthless stone into a mere physical commodity. He knew that what is truly essential only comes from God.

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Take a few moments today to consider your priorities. How much of your “power” (financially, physically, emotionally, intellectually…) is spent converting things of no true value into “essentials” in your life or lifestyle? Consider if it is time for some “house-cleaning” and a restructuring of you priorities regarding the “things” in your life.

·      Consider if it is time for you to “fast” for a season from certain items or practices that you consider “necessities” but are really just physical accessories to your life.