My Daily Pause

Without a healthy vine, there are no branches and no fruit.

Jesus made every effort to teach us that he was everything we needed to sustain our spiritual life. He is our strength and support. He is the way in and the path to life.

John records for us seven times that Jesus said he is something key to our salvation.

Jesus said “I am …”

• the bread of life (John 6:35)
• the light of the world (John 8:12)
• the door (John 10:9)
• the good shepherd (John 10:11)
• the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
• the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)
• the vine (John 15:5)

Today, review these passages in their full context and consider how much more priority we should give Christ in our lives.

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness – ca. 1890 – James Tissot (1836–1902)

I’m glad he didn’t –

He would be a completely different kind of savior if he had.

Every time I read through the account of Jesus’ temptations, (Luke 4:1-12) I have to think back through the reasons Jesus did not turn the stones into bread. It seems like such a simple and harmless act – plus his fasting period was coming to an end.

Speaking of fasting …

Fasting is one of those biblical ideas taken to its extremes by the various denominations. It is a rather simple exercise intended to bring the person closer to God, but it has been exploited to the point of being meaningless to most people. That, and the lack of a New Testament requirement for it, has caused the original intent of fasting to become obscure.

Fasting is a period of sacrifice to the point of discomfort to remind us of our humanity and our need for God.

So what would be different if Jesus had turned the stone into bread?

He would have been turning away from God

If fasting is intended to be a time of drawing nearer to God, then Jesus was doing everything he could to show God he needed him. Using his ability to perform miracles for a selfish purpose voids that dependence.

We often do that when we allow worry and fear to drive our response to challenges.

He would have understood us less

Jesus came to the earth in the flesh so God would know exactly what our lives are like. He suffered physical discomforts. He was tempted to sin. He had to learn how to survive.

Turning that stone into bread is something a person could never do. Jesus would never know what human suffering is by taking advantage of such an easy solution.

When we are trying to be helpful, we often risk diminishing others’ suffering by saying we understand what they are feeling. We should be careful when we do not share a similar experience.

His humanity would have suffered from doubt

The devil tempted Jesus by saying, “If you are the Son of God…” (Luke 4:3 my emphasis.) In other words, “prove to us both that you can really do it!”

If Jesus had allowed himself to be manipulated in such a way, imagine all of the other events in his ministry that lose their impact with the introduction of a little doubt!

This is what happens to us when we respond to false criticism and irrelevant detractions. We lose our influence and our power to lead.

Jesus already commanded all the devil had to offer

When we really look closely at the temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-12) we see that Jesus was never tempted with anything that he did not already possess.

In a spiritual sense, the same is true with us!

When faced with temptations and challenges, remember what Jesus showed us is possible.

And be glad he didn’t turn the stone into bread…

Jesus teaching in the Temple, from the book Standard Bible Story Readers, Book Five (1928) Authors O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland

Those who have read the four Gospels will have noticed two things about the way Jesus taught his followers. He used miracles and parables. We can understand how the miracles worked as a teaching device, but the parables? Not so much. The disciples were very curious about this approach also, and even asked him one day. (Matthew 13:10-17)

Unfortunately, not everyone that had the opportunity to hear Jesus speak wanted to hear it. Sounds like people today too, doesn’t it? When Jesus explained the parables, it was usually only after the disciples were taken aside. Those who truly want to hear the word, will take the time to sit down with it and work on understanding it.

Based on what Jesus was facing in his time, here are seven reasons why he taught in parables.

1. Prophecy Isaiah 6:9-10
2. Confound the spies and Pharisees
3. Challenged His disciples to greater spiritual discernment
4. The Hebrew people were familiar with the method
5. Easy to remember
6. Interesting
7. The teachings were unsuitable for use against him in court

The next time you read from the gospels, look for the subtle differences a believer and a nonbeliever would see in those parables.

Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees – between 1886 and 1894 – James Tissot (1836–1902)

The Jews missed a great opportunity. They overlooked the signs (or just ignored them) that the Messiah was present among them. How did that happen?

I’m not sure what the crowd’s reaction was at the time, but I have always gotten a good chuckle when Jesus summed it up for them:

You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! – Matthew 23:24

All things considered, we live in a great spot on God’s timeline. We have more resources to read, study, and analyze God’s word than ever before. We should realize though, we are not insulated from making the same mistakes the Jews made. Jesus gave us a great outline of what they did wrong in Matthew 23, where he continues his harshest language directed at the Jews. If we are to avoid being in the same situation, we should consider the things he told them:

• Your example can both save or hinder others (Matthew 23:13)
• Convert others to God’s word, not a man’s opinion (Matthew 23:15)
• Become known as one whose promise is always binding (Matthew 23:16-22)
• Concern yourself with important matters, not trifles (Matthew 23:23-24)
• Outward appearances are less important than what we do and what we think (Matthew 23:25-26 and Matthew 23:27-28)
• Honor the truth over tradition (Matthew 23:30-31)

What are some ways we can use these things to improve personally, in our families and in our churches?

Jesus (on the left) is being identified by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, 17th century depiction by Vannini.

Previously, we looked at something that Jesus found praiseworthy – that being people willing to stand firm in claiming him and believing in him. There is also an attitude in people that Jesus was thankful for. In Matthew 11:25, he gave thanks for people that aren’t so vain about their wisdom and knowledge that they can take the time to believe in God.

This bit of scripture is often referred to as “The Great Invitation.” (Matthew 11:25-30) For those willing to listen, Jesus offers a life that no earthly “wisdom” can match:

• He offers rest – a sinful lifestyle is difficult to maintain and leaves only sadness in the end
• He offers sympathy – Jesus became one of us, so he knows exactly how we feel when we are troubled
• He offers help – Jesus’ yoke will help us deal with much more than we can on our own

Answering Jesus’ call starts with two simple commandments:

• Love God – Matthew 22:37
• Love your neighbor – Matthew 22:39

When you have these two things down – living according to the rest of God’s law is easy.

What can you change in your life to make Jesus thankful for you?