Temptation and Necessary Things

The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matt 4:3-4)

In Luke's telling of Jesus' dinner with the sisters, Mary and Martha, Jesus challenges me to distinguish between those things which are urgent and too often life-draining and those which are essential and life-giving.  In Matthew's telling of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, Jesus challenges me to an even deeper and more critical discernment.  This passage challenges me not only to distinguish but also to CHOOSE between necessary and primary things.  Bread is necessary, but it is not primary.  God is primary.  And Jesus allows nothing, not even necessary things to distract him from or interfere with that primacy.   Jesus will not use God the Father or his own power as the Son of God to obtain what he wants no matter how necessary it might seem.  Rather, he submits himself to the Father's will.

Oh how this convicts me!  How often I push God aside for what is "necessary" and justify it.  I cringe to think of the ways, especially under the guise of good intentions, that I deny the primacy of God in pursuit of that which is necessary or, worse yet, use God to satisfy my own needs or desires.

I know that I am to bend to God's desire and will, that I am created in the image of God.  The goal of this pilgrim journey is to be evermore conformed to Jesus life.  Still, my life seems to be repeated attempts to create God in MY image and twist God's word to justify my life, and use God to satisfy my desires and wants.

So I will continue to identify the areas of temptaion in my life; the necessary things (and the unnecessary ones) that I choose instead of giving God primacy in my life. 

What are the wilderness temptations and necessary things that challenge you to push God to the side or try to conform God's will to your desires?

Journey on!

Dearest Lord, protect me from the temptations to choose necessary things ahead of you and use you to satisfy my own desires.  Through your gracious Holy Spirit create in me new desires - a hunger for righteousness - that will be satisfied by your word.  Keep me ever mindful that your Word, Jesus, is the source and foundation of all life.  Amen.