Journaling Matthew ch.4

     Vs. 2-4 I would be beyond hungry.  I would be worm food.  I wonder, what would my life look like if I had the faith to go without food for a long period of time and know in the bottom of my being all that matters is what I get from God?  Does not God have the power to sustain my life without my eating?  I would love to have this kind of faith, and maybe I do in places.  This is not a place I lead God into but rather God would lead me into.  Otherwise I'm basically testing God. It's what I want not what God has for me.  I must be lead there by God.  In other words, I could have unlimited powerful faith but I still need that faith to be led by the Holy Spirit.  I need my faith to be doing what God deems and not what I want to use it for.

     Vs. 5-7  Guess on the surface I don't really understand the temptation here.  I think, why would I want to jump off a building.  That just seems dumb.  But maybe it's not about that but rather about being in the arms of the angels.  Being God-man and being away from home for 30 years, now here is the opportunity to be surrounded and held by members of the spirit realm, angels from home.  This may have been something Jesus desperately desired.  I don't know.  After the third temptation Jesus does get ministered to by angels.  His daddy knows what He needs.

     Vs. 8-11  After 40 days alone, coming at the end of 30 years on earth, Jesus may have experienced a separation or distance from God.  When I've been away from something for a very long time sometimes that thing seems less real, like I know it but just can't quite grasp it.  Here Jesus firmly puts all things in their place.  God first, and He in his place below.  No questions, no other option.  If this had not been in concrete before starting His earthly mission, it would all have been futile.

     Vs. 17  Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.  These are the words of Jesus--the second person in the New Testament to say we need to repent first.

     Vs. 18-22  Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John were the first four of Jesus' disciples.  The three most key disciples (Peter, James, and John) of Jesus's ministry were there from beginning to end.

     Vs. 23-25  Jesus does all three--teach, preach and heal.  The most vibrant ministries have all three of these.  Healing is the least seen of these today, mostly due to hardness of heart or unwillingness to accept Jesus into the heart (of the person receiving miracle).  Jesus did not do many miracles when the people had little faith.  It was not dependent on Jesus, but on the people.  I believe it is the same today.  No matter how spirit filled the one who brings the message, if those receiving it are unable to receive, then there will be little or no healing.  Is this not especially true in America?  If I can't touch it, feel it, examine it, see how it works, then I'm not buying in.  We have no faith.