WATCHWORD:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:1-4
Meditation:
A 40-Day Fast?
Fasting — What an interesting topic, and just twelve days after many of us have feasted on Thanksgiving. Have you ever been on a fast, a true fast? You know, multiple days with no solid food, only liquids. I got to thinking about that. How many days could I make it with nothing but water and chocolate milkshakes, or soup, or Gatorade, etc. to support my fast? I shouldn’t make light of a sacred fast, but it is hard to get my mind around Jesus going 40 days and 40 nights in that wilderness, without food. No wonder he was hungry. And no wonder he was tempted.
Jesus knew, from an early age, who he was, and over the years, had serious conversations with his mother about the circumstances and blessings surrounding his birth, including what Simeon and Anna had said about him in the temple, long ago. From that young age on, He would daily engage in prayer and reading of the Holy Writ, thus, he communicated with his Heavenly Father.
Consider this, Jesus’ ministry has yet to begin. He travels the 60 miles, on foot, from Nazareth, through Capernaum, to the Jordan River, where he seeks out John who is baptizing somewhere along its course. John objects to doing the baptism, but finally agrees, and Jesus’ Ministry begins with 40 days in the Judean wilderness, a vast grassland.
His time in the wilderness is a time of searching. He knows that he has a special, God-given purpose. Now, here he was, at the start of his time on earth. Here in this desolate place he considers His purpose, and is tempted by Satan. The magnitude of 40 days without food brought him to a point where Satan tempted him to use his power to find something to eat, turn these stones into bread. He answered the temptation with “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”
How about you? Lets say you start a fast. Once committed, what would it take to tempt you out of that fast? For me, any number of Italian dishes, would do the job rather quickly, even ‘fast’. Lobster ravioli, lasagna, seafood carbonara, just to name a few. Sorry. Again, how about you?
But, enough about food, it’s really about denying ourselves in the face of temptation. Or, perhaps, it is denying the Lord, living counter to his commandments. Do we love the comfort of a life apart from God, too much to change? So, here’s a question to consider. We begin a fast to the glory of God with firm resolve. How firm is our resolve? When the first pangs of hunger set in, or missing the ‘old life’, how do we respond? Can we see that discomfort, the temptation, as murmurings of Satan? At that point in our struggle, we should pray: Holy spirit give us discernment and wisdom to stand firm, anchored to the truth that is in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, I commit my life, my family and loved ones, all of our affairs from yesterday, today and tomorrow into your able hands. Please Lord, help me to seek you in everything I do, not just when I want to make big decisions or when I face difficulty. Holy spirit give us discernment and wisdom to stand firm, anchored to the truth that is in Jesus Christ. I’m in your hands, Lord. Amen.
