Advent - Luke Chapter 4

This is part of a series exploring Luke’s Gospel for the Advent season. One chapter a day for the first 24 days of December. I hope you enjoy :)

- Jeff

‘Man shall not live by bread alone’ (Luke 4). This passage is a challenging one. It holds great truths and highlights our own inadequacy - or ineptitude? - to meet temptation and resist it.

The bread we have comes from God. Indeed, all good gifts come from God, as James writes. How grateful are we to the Lord for what He gives?

Jesus reminds the devil not to not tempt God, or put Him to the test. Our Lord instructed His disciples to pray for their daily bread.

Just like our daily bread, the Lord offers us daily mercies. This is in line with His personality, His character. Although outside time, God entered it by becoming human. He knows the ebb and flow of our energies and weakness. He understands the fatigue that comes through hunger and thirst.

We must throw ourselves on God’s mercy - where else can we go? But let us all pray that we don’t take it for granted.