This week we just entered into Lent. Fasting is commonly practiced by Christians during Lent to commemorate Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness before he began his ministry. We are told that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The devil came to him and said,
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matt 4:1-4)
Seeing that Jesus was hungry, the devil tempted Jesus to use his divine power for his own fulfillment. But Jesus answered, “It is written ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” No, though he in his Sonship had the power that was rightfully his to claim, Jesus refused to succumb. To accomplish the mission that he had to fulfill, Jesus chose to relinquish what he rightfully had. In total submission and obedience to the word and will of God, Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…. humbled himself and became obedient to death.” (Phil 2:7-8)
Parallels have been drawn between the devil’s three temptations to Jesus, the three temptations to Adam and Eve, and the 3-fold ‘lust (cravings) of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life” described in 1 Jn 2:16. The first temptation is about bread, a staple food that postulates hunger and cravings of the flesh that need to be filled. Jesus reminds us that we do not live on bread alone but on the living word and will of God. We must not let the needs and desires of the flesh rule over us. We need to ask ourselves: How much is our lives driven and run by the desires and cravings of the flesh? How much have we sought God’s will and word in guiding our paths and decisions?
If we are not careful, food cravings can get us into the sin of gluttony (apart from obesity). Cravings of the flesh can lead us into lust and sins of the flesh. Coincidentally as I write, the Christian world is deeply troubled and saddened by the news of the sexual misconduct of Ravi Zacharias, a renowned prolific writer and defender of the Christian faith. We woke up once again to the horrid nature of sin that lurks in the darkest corner of one’s life. No one is immune to the sins of the flesh. A list is clearly laid out in the bible for us to carefully examine:
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Gal 5:19-21)
Lent invites us to enter a time of spiritual renewal as we vigilantly spend time in reflection, confession, reading and praying. I encourage you to considering fasting in the next 6 weeks as a willful chastening of your body and soul as you draw close to Christ. Nowadays fasting can take many forms. You can fast from food, from extravagant feasting, your favorite snacks e.g. chocolates and ice cream, from watching TV, or any favorite pastime. Set your own plan and do it at your own pace. May you have a most blessed Lent season.
Our understanding about fasting, bread, gluttony, flesh etc. will not be complete without learning to pray what Jesus taught in “Give us this day our daily bread”. Join us this Sunday as we contemplate what this teaching entails.
With prayers and thanksgiving,
Deaconess Josephine Chow