I have always wondered what the issue was for Jesus just to turn stone to bread. I thought it was harmless, thoughtful of the devil and a helpful suggestion to a man that had been fasting. More so, what was in it for the devil? I didn’t just see it. Other than the fact that it was suggested by the devil who we all generally consider to be full of evil plans and can be up to no good, I didn’t see anything wrong with it, even so that Jesus at some point turned water into wine. Until I read Matthew 16:26 ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’
This scripture implies that a deal is bad and should not be made if you have to give up your soul for anything, whatever it is. Then I understood that the temptation to turn stone to bread was not the end point for the devil but it was the beginning of a process to steal the soul of Jesus.
The process was going to be that Jesus would start agreeing to suggestions, advances and proposals made by the devil that looks harmless at first and seem helpful until the devil gets to the point where he will demand of Jesus to bow down to get the world. That is the goal!
This sound so real to us today, where we as Businessmen or Businesswomen, Employers, Employees, Job seekers, Students, Ministers of the Gospel, Politicians or Christians begin but yielding to seemingly harmless or helpful suggestions or proposals which will eventually be a bad deal. It will start as harmless, until we get to a point where we have to exchange our souls (our values, commitments, convictions and even covenant relationships) for the chance to rule or save the world. Two dangers we face at this point:
1. We would have made so many concessions before now to the devil’s suggestions that one more will not seem bad.
2. The world will be dangled right before us when the demand for our souls will be made and it will be difficult to resist.
Whatever the case, it is a bad deal that will not profit anyone because we would have given the most valuable possession anyone could ever have –our souls.
