For 40 long days -- almost six weeks -- Jesus was alone in the wilderness, fasting and being tempted by the devil. There are three temptations listed in Luke 4:1-13 (and in a slightly different order, the same three in Matthew 4) but the text doesn't say these are the only three temptations Satan threw at him, just that these three are recorded for us. There are many important meanings in this story; here are a few.
Forty days is probably a parallel to Moses' 40 days on the mountain fasting in God's presence (Deut. 9:9) and to Israel's 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. For this time, Jesus was alone with no distractions from other people, alone in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit. As he fasted, he was tempted by Satan, and came to the point of extreme hunger (v. 2). Then Satan tempted him with the idea of making food for himself. What was the big deal about that?
As a human, Jesus had experienced hunger before; but as the Son of God in the flesh, he showed several major truths by turning down this temptation.
1. Jesus knew his mission on earth was to serve us, not himself; but Satan tempted him to rely on his power as God for his own needs. In his ministry on earth, Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit, doing the will of the Father and using his power as the Son of God many times -- but never for himself (compare for instance Matthew 26:53). Here, Jesus taught selflessness.
2. He trusted God to provide for him. Eve, and Adam with her, were convinced by the serpent that God was holding out on them and they deserved more. Israel in the wilderness, though being fed by God with miraculous manna, complained about it andwanted something 'better' -- part of their pattern of disbelief ( Numbers 11, for instance). Jesus went through a more severe test -- no food at all -- and continued to trust that God would provide.
3. Jesus was empty of food, yet filled with the Spirit. By contrast, Israel "celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry" in worship of the golden calf.
4. Jesus showed by his choices that he was who his Father described at his baptism in Luke 3:22 -- “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” Notice, this description is before the temptation, not as a result of his success in it.
Jesus responded to Satan with the verse from Deut. 8:3, "people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." That verse is a summary of Israel's entire wilderness experience, and in a way, Jesus' wilderness experience too. He said that, not to command us to memorize Bible verses, but to say we must rely totally on God's provision for us -- 'hanging on to every word' as it were, for our daily life.
Fasting from something -- food and water, or just food, or from one thing we enjoy -- is a way to recognize how much we depend on God to give us life itself. And when we lack something we think we must have, isn't that the most important time to decide that God, who has given us victory through Jesus Christ, will certainly provide everything else we truly need?
No comments:
Post a Comment