1.02.2007

Matthew 4:1 - 11

Two things strike me as interesting about this passage.
First, verse 2 says "Jesus ate nothing for forty days and nights. After this, he was very hungry." What an understatement. Of course the guy was very hungry. Sure he was all God, but he was also all man. I wouldn't have made it past day one. I've never made a full day of fasting without a protein shake.
Second, in verse 3 Satan comes to tempt Jesus. He doesn't offer him food. Well, he does, but it's under the pretense of a dare. He challenges who Jesus is. Look at it: "The devil came to Jesus to tempt him, saying, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread.'" I think Satan does this to us too. He waits until we're tired or distracted and then attacks our potential weakness. So he attacks our patience when we're tired. He attacks our pride when we're focusing on our patience. It's a smart tactic. It helped me to know how he works. After all, G.I. Joe says "Knowing is half the battle"! JM

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