Most people, when we think of Jesus suffering, we think of His crucifixion. At least I do. Afterall, that was the absolute worst suffering of all time! But what about His life? He was perfect, so He did not sin, not ever! So maybe when we think of His life we don't think about all He went through before the crucifixion.
He was given all of the human qualities we have so He would know what we go through. He didn't sin, but He was tempted. Probably the most well known temptation was the forty days He spent in the wilderness without food or water. Of course Satan was there to do his part! Matthew chapter 4 verse 2: "For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry." 3: During that time the devil came and said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread'." 4 "But Jesus told him, 'No! The scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Have you ever been so hungry you would do just about anything? Can you imagine being hungry for 40 days?! I mean that surpasses human suffering. We would die after two or three weeks! Can you imagine being that hungry AND having the ability to turn rocks to bread? I know I would do it! Hungry x 40 days or 40 minutes, those stones would've been garlic bread with marinara dipping sauce! We don't know Jesus' first thought, but we know what He did. He gave scripture. He did not give in to His hunger.
Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple 6 and said, 'If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the scriptures say, 'He will order His angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.' " ( Important note here-SATAN KNOWS SCRIPTURE! We'll get more into that in another blog)
7 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'"
Have you ever tested God? I think some people may do this without even realizing it, in the name of Faith. Big faith is great! But, when we do something dangerous, for example, driving 100 mph down the highway because "God will protect me", you're testing Him. Of course, God wants us to enjoy our lives and do fun things. He does not want us to live in fear either.
With all the craziness in the world, some may be tempted to become a hermit to avoid danger that might happen. We have to trust Him with our everyday lives. Reckless activity, however, is not a way to express your faith.
Matthew 4:8 "Next, the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." 9 "I will give it all to you," he said, "If you will kneel down and worship me." 10 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.'" 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
So, what is our lesson from this? We may only pray to God and no one else, but be careful about having idols. When we put other things before God; for example: money, hobbies, even people, they become idols. So, yes, this qualifies as having other gods. Think about it. We may not even realize we're doing it but when we get too busy to read the Bible, go to church, attend small group, we're putting those things before God. Working extra instead of spending time with God makes money your idol. Now, I'm not talking about those of you who need to work extra to survive. I'm talking about working extra to have a new car, a bigger house, more vacations. I've done it too. I'm not judging anyone. But when we realize what we're doing and who or what we're idolizing, we need to fix it!
I pray the this article has blessed you in some way and that you will have the desire and strength to become more like Jesus. That is the ultimate goal in my life and I hope it is yours too!
Please consider scrolling down to rate this article and leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts!
God bless you and your family!
Comments