But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone but on every rhema coming from the mouth of God.'” [Deut 8:3]
Luke 4:4)
There is much debate over this verse. It fuels a raging debate as to what happened to the text that the segment “coming from the mouth” should be missing in Luke. There are claims and counter claims as to the fidelity of the text of in earlier manuscripts. The later Majority Texts include the additional portion, assimilating it to the text found in Matthew. How does one explain why the segment should be missing from the Luke reading? I don’t intend to enter into the text debate over the “missing text”. I don’t think it prudent to list the pros and cons of each side in this case. Frankly the difference between them is not that great. It certainly doesn’t warrant me going into a long involved run down of both sides of the argument which I think would lose most of you anyway. I also don’t wish to explain away this verse on the basis of text critical theories but rather to address the possibility that Luke intended to leave out the part “coming from the mouth“. I have a hunch, like in the case of the stones -> stone and the loaves -> loaf, Luke has deliberately left out the above segment. But why? Maybe it is a case of reducing complexity in order for us to understand.
But let’s just pause for a moment and see if there is another answer.
Deuteronomy 8:3 records “coming from the mouth”
In the Septuagint (LXX
ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι τῷ ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος θεοῦ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
but by every word that comes from mouth {of God} {will live} the man
In Matthew 4:4
ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ.
{he will live} man but by every word coming from mouth {of God}
In Luke 4:4
ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι Θεοῦ.
{he will live} the man, but on/by every word {of God}
Taking out the segment “coming from the mouth” is not a big deal. It is perfectly possible that Luke omitted it deliberately. Whether it is in or out the sense is the same. The every Word of God still equates with every word coming from the mouth of God. Every Word of God comes from the mouth of God does it not? What if Luke has reduced the complexity in order for us “to see the wood for the trees”. Note the full context of the Deuteronomy passage.
“Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey His commands.
Yes, He humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell.”
Deut 8:2-4
Is Jesus not pointing out to satan that it is clear from this verse that God will provide all we need? Food was given miraculously when it was needed. Clothes and shoes didn’t wear out. God took care of all of the needs of the children of Israel. If that happened won’t He also take care of the needs of the Son of God? If Messiah is here in the wilderness suffering hunger, then isn’t it because it is God’s intention. There is not a hint that Messiah will succumb to the temptations of satan. The Messiah is locked on to doing only that which God would have Him do or have Hm experience. Isn’t this the very point of the temptation? To get the Messiah to forsake God’s plan and take care of things on His own with His own God given power?
It is is clear that this passage is talking about more than just bread. It is not a case of turn a stone into a loaf of bread just because Jesus is hungry. He can trust His Heavenly Father to take care of all He needs to live. This passage is a reminder of that in the context of the manna provided for the sons of God of old. Surely if it came down to the Messiah suffering extreme hunger in the wilderness God would provide in supernatural ways like He has before. He sent birds for Eilijah, He seemingly sustained Moses on mountain for 40 days and no mention of nights, without food. Is this all coming together here indicating that Messiah too can expect God to provide if needed. He certainly doesn’t have to yield to satan’s suggestion to go do it Himself.
One of my biggest lessons about the faithfulness of God came in such a context. God had told me I did not need to sell our house as I had been thinking I would have to do in order to provide the money for our future venture into work with Wycliffe. God had spoken to me spectacularly to tell me don’t sell the house. (But that is another story.) I knew I wasn’t to sell the house. That much was clear. But now of course we needed to rent it out and we needed house managers for when we were overseas. So I was going to take care of that myself. But God showed me very clearly through every word (not necessarily out of His mouth) that He had this under control and I didn’t need to do a thing. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness I just had to be led by the cloud by day and the fire by night. So I felt He was telling me not to do it in my own strength but rather to watch and wait to see what God would do. That was so hard to do because I felt like I need to do something to make it work out. God is not going to do it all for me. “He helps those who help themselves”, they say. But each time I felt I had to find a house manager myself God would whisper into my spirit to wait and watch what happens.
Jesus Messiah certainly knew all about this and He was not about to take matters into His own hands. Rather He would trust Himself to God the Father who has all things worked out. No need to panic, even at the last minute. God has it all under control. He is the God who provided manna every morning right on time and took care of their shoes and clothes so they didn’t wear out. There is nothing to worry about. Trust yourself to Him and stop trying to do everything in your own strength.
That is why I think Luke leaves out the element. He wants to draw attention to the full impact of the passage from Deuteronomy. But I could be totally wrong about that. Be it sure makes for a good story. I will ask Luke when I see him. I have so much to ask him. You will have to wait in line for a while until I get all my questions asked. But on the other hand I suspect I won’t have to ask anything because Paul says “we will know as we are known”. I will know clearly, no longer looking in the dim bronze mirror but seeing all the steps in my life that God arranged without me even knowing he was watching. And all that time I thought I had to be running around doing it all myself. How foolish!
Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Anon
The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.
Dostoevsky
You don’t have to know everything. You know the One who does know—and He’ll tell you when He wants you to know.
Anon
You can’t learn to trust God by hearing how your friend trusts Him. Take the step of faith and trust for yourself; You’ll grow.
Anon
You regularly trust power you cannot see to do work you cannot accomplish. Jesus invites you to do the same with Him.
Max Lucado