Stone Soup

June 29, 2020

Matthew and Luke both record the incident, although neither were there to observe it. Jesus was alone. In the desert. Hungry after forty days of fasting. This wasn’t something he necessarily planned, nor was it on his bucket list, but the Holy Spirit led him there, which should put us on notice that God’s leading isn’t always into pleasant pastures. Sometimes it’s into harsh, dry, desert places where we come face to face with the demonic. It is dangerous to assume that difficulties are always from the devil and pleasures from God. Sometimes it is the other way around.

“When the tempter came to him, he said, “Command these stones to become bread.”” (Matthew 4:3). We are so familiar with the story that we can miss its impact. The fact is, we try to turn stones into bread all the time. We attempt to feed on the stone of social media only to find out it is hard, and breaks the teeth of any who try to chew on it. We eat the stones of greed and materialism. They go down easily, but don’t digest well and prevent real sustenance from getting into the system. We swallow the tiny stones—the sand—of religion, only to choke on it, and if we’re lucky, to vomit it back up.

Only God’s Word sustain. Forgive me Lord, for sitting at the banquet of stones, then complaining of my hunger. Thank you for making available the real food that satisfies.