Gospel

Spiritual vs Physical Need

by Roland Crim
12/15/17
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:2-4 NIV

The desire which Jesus would have had to eat some food was not an evil desire. What was evil is the manner the devil suggested for obtaining the food. Jesus did not use His power for His own needs.

What is beautiful, here, is Jesus looked past the physical needs to the realm of spiritual needs. That is something totally foreign to those of evil. They cannot see beyond the physical desires, that which is self-centered.

The devil tried to trap Jesus into proving He was the Son of God through an action of power. Jesus does not need to prove to anyone that He is God’s Son. That is a matter of fact. One can choose to either accept or reject it.

What Jesus wished us to learn here is that spiritual need is more important than physical need. We must approach God to receive the spiritual nourishment we require. As for the physical needs, God provides for those who belong to Him.