“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” Matthew 4:1-4
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:7-11
I’ve been pondering for some time the relationship between these two passages, as they both talk about bread and stones. I would enjoy feedback, since I’m sure others are more knowledgeable than I. But here are my thoughts so far:
God gives what is perfect and excellent, but Satan offers cheap substitutes that only bring death. Jesus chose the excellent path, choosing to trust what he already knew the Father would give him. Therefore, when we ask of our Father, we can trust that He will give us the most excellent things in His most excellent way and timing. Grasping for satisfaction from temporal things is a skewed focus. For we are to live by seeking God first. Sure, we need temporal things; we need food, clothing, shelter, and love. But we must not have them be our focus. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus showed us that setting our minds on God is what we should do. That is what is right. The Father will provide the rest. They are of little consequence, because He knows we need them and He will give good gifts to His children. Not only will He give us what we need for this life, but He will equip our souls for eternal life. Therefore, if we find we’re grasping for stones instead of God, we’re trying to live life apart from God.
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Very interesting!
Well said. I have a sermon in which I talk about the difference between being “empty and grasping” and “full of the Spirit and overflowing.” It is based on another “bread” passage: John 6. You can download it here if you are interested (click on the link using the right side of your mouse and some options will pop up. Choose the one that says something like “Save link as” or “download.”)
The Luke version of this second passage (11:9-13) says, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Of course, the best thing the Father can give us is himself. But when in Matthew the Lord says, “good things,” material gifts are no doubt included in this promise as well. I don’t think the Bible makes a big dichotomy between the Lord giving us himself and giving us other things. It’s all for use in his kingdom and for the kingdom. I have often thought of how excited I get when I think of getting one of my kids something special for their birthday. How much more does the Lord get excited about giving us good things!
Yes, I believe it is a great joy to provide for our children…..physical needs, as well as life lessons. Thanks for the link. I’ll look at it.
Words we all need to hear. Thanks
I like these thoughts––very true, challenging and encouraging. Thank you for your wisdom!