Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Numbers 32 -34; Matthew 4
Voluntary displacement- Matthew 4:1-11
Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.”
5 After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”
7 Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”
8 Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”[d] 11 The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.
What does this passage mean to me/us?
Some might wonder, ‘why did Jesus have to fast before he started his ministry?’
There are many reasons why he had to go through temptation and crush the enemy. Also, it could be considered as a spiritual preparation before impacting the lives and proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Today, however, I would like to focus on his fasting as a voluntarily act of displacement.
One way to understand Jesus’ fast is how he voluntarily put him in a stage of vulnerability. Even though he was a perfect God, he was also a perfect human, who wept, slept, and was hungry. By putting himself through a fast for forty days, he not only understood the limitation of a human body, but he was also vulnerable in the face of temptation.
At the same time, we see how he gives us hope how we who are limited and vulnerable can face and win the temptation of our enemy. It was through the Word of God he was able to withstand the tempters attack, and shows that we can do so too! it shows that we have to hold onto the promise of God’s words, as we live another day in this world!
Prayer
Lord, lead us to see how you give us the power to stand strong, with your Word, today. In the name of Jesus, we pray, AMEN.
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