Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life.
When the devil wanted to make our Lord Jesus sin, he used the simplest and most basic of things. Jesus was hungry after a forty day, twenty four hour-a-day, fast. There is nothing wrong with feeling hungry! It’s perfectly natural.
Knowing Jesus was the Son of God, and knowing therefore that Jesus could easily do what for other people would be miracles, the devil tempted Jesus to turn the scattered stones into warm and enjoyable bread.
“You’re naturally hungry. Surely you can make a meal from a stone?”
In fact, we know Jesus didn’t even need the stones!
Remember, He created all things out of nothing by the power of His word, John 1:3; Colossians 1:16.
Later He showed that He was able to multiply the lunch for a young lad and feed more than 5,000 people from it, Matthew 14:13-21.
But this time and in this circumstance it was wrong for Jesus to do what He could easily have done. To give in to His own legitimate hunger would be to give the devil the obedience that is God’s alone. Jesus’ spiritual commitment to God the Father’s will, meant more to Him than filling His empty tummy!
Jesus refused the devil’s temptation. He quoted Scripture from the Old Testament as His reason. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”, Deuteronomy 8:3.
In our daily lives walking with God there are things that seem naturally right for us to do. We must be careful not to give in to all such desires! We may be surrendering to the devil as we do! Only the Christian, who is in close touch with God through spending time with Him, will be able to know the difference.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”, Galatians 6:14.
August 2008.