Lent: Do we put God first before chicken?

“Manusia hidup bukan dari roti saja (Man doesn’t live from bread alone)”… This is what Jesus said when tempted while fasting. Interestingly, when the devil came to Jesus in different forms, Jesus always used the Old Testament Scripture to fight against it. So we can see how close the OT and Jesus (New Testament)…

If we look at the OT, we’ll see that the Israels ate bread like the Indonesians eat rice nowadays as their primary food. We can see how God gave the Israels breads from above when they asked for it through a prophet…

In this Lent season, we try to deny our flesh by not eating meat every Friday (in the Latin Church). But maybe we should think more than just meat.

If Jesus said, “Man doesn’t live from bread alone” based on the context that bread is the primary food for Israels, then it is like “Man doesn’t live from RICE alone” for the Indonesians… But can we survive if we don’t eat rice???

That’s a question you need to ask yourself during this Lent. Think about it. Can we live without eating rice…?? Maybe just for this Lent season… But that’s what it is if we want to know what Christ did when fasting.

Do we put God in the first place? Or do we put Chicken or rice or facebook or youtube or games or homework in the first place? If we claim that we put God in the first place, then we should show that we really put Him first. Maybe we can spend minutes in prayer before going to bed, instead of facebooking or youtubing before going to bed (and FORGOT to pray, or fell asleep and thus not praying).

Remember, “Man does not live from bread alone, but from the Word of God.” This is the meaning of Lent. We try to get closer to God through prayer, almsgiving, reading scripture, fasting, doing good things, etc…

Is God higher than chicken? Then you should be able to live with God and without chicken.

Is God higher than rice? Then you should be able to live with God and without rice.

Is God higher than TV/facebook/youtube/internet? Then you should be able to live with God and without TV/facebook/youtube/internet….

May your Lent be so meaningful… not just time that passes without any meanings… This is our ‘Ramadhan’…  =)

God bless you!

(*kutipan kitab suci tidak dijamin tepat, perlu doble check)

~ by alwyn on March 9, 2009.