Bread from Heaven

Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (40 days mirroring the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years) is marked by his temptation -- the offer from Satan himself of all the world's delights.  This is an offer we experience daily, perhaps every minute from our smartphones with its alluring glow and steady stream of images.  Jesus' memorable rebuff, "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" has layers to it, for Jesus is the word of God, spoken before all creation, he is the word through whom all things were made (as we say in the creed), and he is the word made flesh.