Our Heavenly Vocation (continued)
Now we come to the three temptations,and we must remember what is the issue that is involved. The issue is vocation, that for which we are here, and, as I have said, we are here to make a place for the Lord.
These three temptations are immediately connected with that vocation. We must see how each temptation is related to this vocation, because the object explains the methods of satan. Do you understand that? satan knows what our presence means to his kingdom. He knows quite well why we are here, just as he knew why the Lord Jesus was here, and so he must defeat that end in some way. he works very subtly and increases his temptation as he goes on, but he knows what he is after at the end.
The whole question is that of the basis of life. The basis of the Christian survival, and the great basic factor, is Divine life, and satan has always wanted to defeat that. In the Garden of Eden and with Israel his one object was to defeat Divine life.
Life For Our Vocation
In the first temptation Jesus is in physical weakness through lack of food, and this is a question of His very life. satan comes to Him in His weakness and says: 'If what was said at the Jordan be true, and You are the Son of God, command these stones that they may be made bread.' What did Jesus answer? "It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
The first thing about this life-bread is that it is a different kind of life from natural life. That is what is hidden in the first temptation. There is a great deal of difference between natural life and Divine life. I think we should notice that the Lord Jesus, in quoting that Scripture from Deuteronomy 8, quoted it correctly. Presently satan is going to quote the Scriptures, but he is going to do so incorrectly, and that is one of his ways. He takes up Divine things and give them a twist. In quoting that Scripture the Lord said: "Man shall not live by bread alone." He did not say: 'You do not need any natural bread.' There are certain kinds of Christians today, and have always been through the ages, who think that they are very spiritual because they starve themselves. They fast as much as they can, usually looking very miserable. They are always very finicky about their food - and they thing that is being very spiritual! But the Lord does not say that that is what we are to do. He says that there is the natural bread, but that is not the only thing, for there is a bread which is much more important, and that is the "true" bread. That is quite different. How men are trying to fulfill the work of God on natural grounds! Their resources are natural resources which are produced by themselves and the Lord says: 'No!" There is all the difference between the earthly and heavenly worlds, between natural life and Divine life. But that life is not only different; it is something extra. It is not bread only, but something more than that, something extra to the natural. You may have your breakfast in the morning - and there is nothing wrong in having a breakfast, or any other meal - but if you think that you are going to do the work of God on a good breakfast, you make a mistake. Do you see what I mean? This is something extra to the natural, something much more than anything that natural food can give us. It is the great Divine extra.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 24)
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