Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone (Luke 4:4) | First Sunday in Lent (Series C) | Lectionary Graphic
Luke 4:1–13
4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11 and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Devotional Thought
As Jesus underwent the devil's temptation in the wilderness, He has proven to be the only One who did not waver. He has overcome the devil. The first of the temptations was to turn stones into bread to abate His hunger. But Jesus did not succumb to this temptation. He spoke the Scriptures and how Israel’s manna in the wilderness was a reminder that bread is not what gives life, but the Lord who provides everything that is needed. So also for us, it is not ultimately the earthly goods that bring about life. Rather, it is the One who gives these gifts and so much more. Our Father in heaven is not just concerned for our earthly lives. He has sent His Son, the Bread of Heaven, for our eternal lives. Through His death and resurrection, we have the forgiveness of sins. By faith in Him, His victory over the devil is our victory. So then, in Christ, we live, and we live unto eternity.
The Image
The gold and downward arrows in the graphic were designed to allude to the fact that every good gift is from above.
Photo Source: Creative Commons Image (Free to Use - No attribution necessary).
https://www.pexels.com/photo/baked-bread-209196/
