NOT BY BREAD ALONE

"But He (Jesus) answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

What does the oft-quoted phrase 'Not By Bread Alone' actually mean? For our answer to this question, we have to turn to its source -- The Holy Bible. In the land of Israel, where Jesus lived while on earth, bread is a staple food. It represents the physical needs of mankind. On another occasion when Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, He included these words: 'Give us this day our daily bread'. With bread, we can satiate our hunger, sustain our body cells with nutrients and derive energy to carry on living.

    In quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus said: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' Man -- the body, soul and spirit that he is, must take care of the total aspects of his person and not the physical alone to lead the life that is intended of him by God the Creator. Our soul refers to our mind, will and emotion, while spirit refers to the breadth of life imparted to us when man was created from dust. These latter two aspects are normally neglected as they are relatively less apparent than the pang of hunger or the pain inflicted upon our body. And, the word of God seeks to draw our attention to this lack where neglected and to this discipline where we choose to embrace it as an integral part of our life.

    Going back to the time of Moses when he was leading the children of Jacob (Israel) in the wilderness on the way to their promised land in the Israel of today, this is what the Scriptures said in Deuteronomy 8:1~3: "Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which God swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." By sending manna from heaven, God has provided for the physical sustenance of His people and taught them vividly that He is more than able to deliver them from every difficulty or challenges, and that for their own well-being they must take heed of His commandments. Indeed, only those who are humble, humbled or can become humble will hear of Him and be blessed.

    To shed light on the context for 'Not By Bread Alone', we shall look at Matthew 4:1~4: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'""

    After fasting for forty days and forty nights, Jesus would understandably be hungry for physical food. And the serpent struck at this point of need. Yet, Jesus, recognising the devil for his vileness (of whom no good things can come), rebuked him and said that the desire for accomplishing the will God is more vital than food for one's stomach. On another occasion as recorded in John 4, Jesus chose to spend time speaking with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Sychar on true worship and spiritual things rather than take his lunch. In John 4:34, Jesus said to His disciples, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. "

    Also, in Matthew 16:23 he rebuked Peter who tried to dissuade Him from going to Jerusalem and suffer death in fulfillment of biblical prophecy with these words, "Get thee behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

    In another account, on the following day after the feeding of a multitude (about five thousand men), we read in John 6:48~51 where Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes from down from heaven, and that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." How can we partake of Jesus? If you are a Picasso, I can take in (behold and enjoy) your painting; if you are a John Grisham, I can consume your stories in written words; and if you are a Steven Spielberg, I can have a feast of audio-visual dramatic actions.

   Jesus said that He has come that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10), and that His words to us are life and spirit (John 6:63.) He who feeds on Jesus (His words) will thus not die spiritually because His words are life and spirit. Indeed as written in John 17:3 when Jesus was praying to God the Father: "And this eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." But this feeding is to be translated into a life of trust, obedience and fellowship with the Lord of all. Then, even when we die physically, we will be resurrected in the last day and continue our walk with Him. In John 6: 54~56, Jesus said, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him." Thus, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God that he may have eternal life.

    When holding the holy convocation of the Lord's Passover with His disciples, before offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb of atonement for the sins of the world, Jesus took unleavened bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:19~20) Herein is another vivid reminder that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

    To round up, physical bread is not enough. We need the bread of life, Jesus, who has been sent from heaven. Together, they constitute the daily bread for our body, soul and spirit. It was not by chance that Jesus was born in House of Bread (better known as Bethlehem). Another vivid reminder, don't you think so?WB

Note: All Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1983 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  unless indicated otherwise.