He is a “Cool” guy or a girl – the statement most of us want to hear about us in high school, college, university, and workplace. What is being “Cool”? Is it a physical feature alone or only personality or both? Though everyone does not get the “Cool Person” tag in an environment, most of us want to be one. How is this to be achieved? Surely, it can’t be achieved not being relevant to the surrounding community where we associate.
3 And 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, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
Matthew 4:3-4 (ESV)
When Jesus finished his 40 days long fasting and was hungry, meets the devil. Among the three temptations he faced, the first temptation is to convert stones to bread. Satan knew Jesus was hungry, most importantly he knows Jesus is the Son of God.
The devil did not really have any concern about Jesus being hungry. His challenge was not to confirm Jesus is the Son of God which he knew already. His real concern was Jesus is the Son of God and His purpose on the earth. The promise He is going to fulfil (Genesis 3:15), to crush the serpent’s head was the concern. The devil realised his time is near, Jesus is going to crush his head on the cross to reclaim the kingdom which was lost in Eden.
Jesus knew exactly what He is going under this kind of trial from the devil. Jesus’ aim was not to prove to satan His divinity but to obey the Father’s will. He was clear and answered the devil by quoting Moses’ speech to Israelites “that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:2). Trusting God and His Word alone, reminding Moses’ hinting to the Israelites of God’s testing through hunger and his miraculous provision of manna, Jesus conquered Devil’s trick.
A recent survey by The Global Hunger Index launched on 14th October 2021 ranked India at 101st position out of a total of 116 countries. Only 15 countries come after India in the world. Image if we have the power to convert stones to bread? In other words, we can call it “Trying to be relevant?” But we follow Christ who was not behaving relevant by changing stones to bread instead He clung to His mission to proclaim the Word and obeyed His Father.