My Favorite Verses - Vol V (Feb 17 to Jun 17)

Luke 4:4 … By bread Alone
(03/02/2017)
“One does not live by bread alone.”
~ Jesus (Luke 4:4)
First & foremost, it should be clearly stated that the one who lives in the
purest expression of Love need not live on bread at all – that those who choose to
Love perfectly (i.e. with humble deeds of willing self-sacrifice for others) receive all
the sustenance they need therefrom. Indeed, this is why it is so often witnessed
that aid workers can go many days without food or sleep and yet remain fully
energized when responding to a tragedy … Yes, it is true that these moments are
often few & far between – and thus that the vast majority of sentient beings do
indeed need to partake of food & water & rest on a regular basis. And yet this is so
not because these things are inevitably needed by us, but rather because the
majority of us are tempted to seek these desires and submit to them (much like
Satan was attempting to get Jesus to do in Luke 4 -- see also Matthew 4:1-11); in
essence, to make our own needs more important than the needs of others; to be
served rather than to serve (see Matthew 20:28).
Just as important, we see here the mention of “bread” – a metaphor Jesus
consistently used to describe acts of selfless service, with the emphasis being
placed on the selflessness of those deeds. For it is true indeed that it is not
enough to merely “do good deeds” without founding the same in conscious
intentions of serving others therewith. It is not enough to “be good” unless those
actions are imbued with the desire to have them bring others some measure of
solace – unless those deeds are soaked fully in the “wine” of unconditional Love
(see Matthew 26:26-28 et al).
Amen … Let it be so.
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