"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" (Luke 4:4)

According to this and other English translations, Jesus is saying this to the "devil" during his forty-day fast in the desert. According to Luke:

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." (Luke 4:4)

Jesus' answer, if understood, clarifies the meaning of his forty-day fast, and even who the "devil" really is.

Who is Jesus quoting?

In answering, Jesus indicates that "it is written." What does this mean? It means that Jesus is quoting from scripture. In particular, he is quoting Moses' statement to his students after they had traveled through the desert in search for what has been referred to as "the promised land."

Here is the text from Deuteronomy, Chapter 8, that includes this statement:

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deut. 8:1-3)

We can see here the reason that God led the Israelites through the desert, and why they ate manna - a seed-grain pulverized into a meal made into wafers. It explains that the purpose of the journey was "to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart."

Why would God need to test them?

We can understand this when we understand relationships. Let's say we had a close friend that, after many years of friendship, suddenly betrayed us and took off, and for several years stayed out of touch with us. Then suddenly they call us out of the blue and want to be friends again. What would we do?

Most people would be a bit careful. Before re-establishing a trusting relationship with that person we would want to go slowly. We would want to gradually rebuild our relationship. We would also test that friendship over time to see if the person was really serious about being friends again.

For example, we might call the friend and ask them to do something for us that might be a bit difficult for them to do. If they do it, we would know that they are committed to being friends again. If they don't, we know they have an ulterior motive, or they just want to be friends out of convenience (they call this a "fair weather friend").

God, on the other hand, does not need to test us in order to understand whether we are committed to a relationship with Him. He already knows how committed we are. He can see our hearts.

However, He will still put various tests in front of us should we seriously pray to Him and ask to return to Him. Why? Because these tests tell us whether we are really committed to Him or not. They indicate whether we are serious about returning to Him or not.

And what is the value of that? The value is that if we understand our lack of seriousness, we can then work towards becoming more serious about re-establishing our relationship with the Supreme Being. It is like a litmus test for us.

For example, many people will say in passing that "Oh, I love God." But do they really? Do they even know who God is? Have they really committed their lives to doing what is pleasing to God?

Who tempted Jesus and why did he fast?

Many have asked why Jesus took a forty-day fast in the desert. Moses' statement to the Israelites gives us an indication. A forty-day fast provides an appropriate test, and it is significant that Jesus fasted for 40 days - symbolizing the 40-year journey by Moses' students.

And we can see from Jesus' forty-day fast in the desert that he was also being tested:

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. (Luke 4:1-2)

The word "tempted" is being translated from the Greek word πειράζω (peirazō) means, according to the lexicon, "to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself." We can thus understand that Jesus was being tested.

Furthermore, it says "he was tempted by the devil." Who is the "devil"?

The concept of the "devil" as promulgated by many, is that the devil is some bad guy who goes around tempting each of us. The idea is that we are all "good" but this guy the devil sits on our shoulder and tempts us with "bad" "sinful" stuff. Or he gets us to sign a contract in blood that then corrupts us.

While there is certainly truth to these symbolic descriptions of life within the physical world, we would be living in cartoon-land if we thought the devil was a physical reality.

The word "devil" in these verses from Luke is translated from the word διάβολος (diabolos). Here is the entire text from Thayer's lexicon defining this word:
1) prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely
a) a calumniator, false accuser, slanderer,
2) metaphor - applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him

Thus we can see that the word διάβολος (diabolos) does not actually refer to a physical person, the "devil." It is describing being slanderous or falsely accusing, or when used metaphorically, a person who is "opposing the cause of God." Remember that the term "metaphorically" (metaphor) refers to symbolism.

Thus we can see that the translation to "devil" as a person in these verses is incorrect. The early translators - who were paid professional translators intent on following the edicts of the politically-derived Synod of Nicene driven by the Roman Emperor Constantine's desire to control the Christian world - simply did not portray the meaning of διάβολος (diabolos) with the correct context.

This is because they themselves were not dedicated to the teachings of Jesus. They were not devoted to the Truth. They were simply "doing their job" and they knew that if they didn't translate the texts to the satisfaction of the early Church leaders then they would lose that job and/or be imprisoned or even burnt at the stake.

And the early Roman Church leaders wanted to promote this idea of the "devil" or "satan" because they wanted to scare people into coming to church and paying their alms.

As for later Biblical translators - those with advanced degrees from divinity schools - they also needed to protect their reputation and their professional positions within their institutions - typically financed or supported by churches that also drew upon the Nicene Creed. Thus these later translators also had to maintain the status quo of translating these texts as if a person called the devil was following Jesus around the desert tempting him with stuff.

Rather, as we can see from the definition that in this context, the word διάβολος (diabolos) refers to opposing our natural state of being a loving caregiver of God. By opposing our natural position - as we were each created to be one of the Supreme Being's caregivers - we are thus "opposing the cause of God" or "falsely" considering ourselves not one of the Supreme Being's children.

We are rebelling against God in other words.

Rather than Jesus being "tempted by the devil," Jesus was being tested by the promises of the material world. The nature of the physical world is such that it tests anyone who enters it and takes on a physical body. Why?

The physical world was created by the Supreme Being in order to provide some of His children a place where we could seemingly get away from Him.

Why are we here?

Those of us within the physical world are here because at some point we rejected the Supreme Being and became self-centered. We rejected our position as God's loving servant. We wanted to get away from Him. We wanted to be like Him. We wanted to be the master instead of the servant. So we wanted to get away from Him.

And because the Supreme Being is always present everywhere, in order to satisfy our desire to get away from Him, He created a virtual dimension where we take on physical bodies that cannot see Him. This has allowed us to pretend that He doesn't exist, or doubt His existence.

Thus the physical world is full of promises and desires for seeming pleasure. For this reason, it is also a place of entrapment. By becoming immersed in our desires we become entrapped by the physical world. We become hooked to its sensual nature.

The physical world also has another feature: We are tricked into thinking that these physical bodies are us. We occupy these bodies for a few decades, and then they die and we have to leave them. But we think they are eternal and we think we are them. We thus struggle to keep them alive, not realizing that we are simply driving these bodies around much like a person sits down in a car and drives it for a while.

But once inside the body we begin to identify with it (much as people identify with their cars). We think this body is us, and we search for pleasure within this physical world.

Why aren't we satisfied?

Just as the Rolling Stones sang during the height of their popularity, "I can't get no satisfaction," one can have so many things here in this world and still not be satisfied. Why?

The things of the physical world will not satisfy us because we are spiritual by nature.

This might be compared to us driving our car, and becoming hungry, and thinking that if we fill up the car with gas we will become full and no longer hungry.

But it doesn't work that way. If we fill the car's gas tank with gas it will not affect our stomach, because we are occupying the car. We are not the car.

In the same way, the things of this world will not satisfy the spiritual being - us - within the physical body.

This is what Jesus is teaching as he makes this statement. He is being tested by the promise of the things of the physical world - in this case, food that will break his fast - and he is stating that the things of this physical world will not satisfy us.

The statement, "Man does not live on bread alone" incorporates several important lessons, both on a symbolic and practical way. When Jesus uses the word "live," he is not referring to keeping the body alive. Otherwise, it would be a false statement, because bread does keep the body alive. Thus we can know by the word "live" that Jesus is talking about spiritual life. He is talking about the life of the spiritual being.

And he knows that the spiritual being - each of us dwelling within these physical bodies - will only be able to truly live when we are in our natural position of loving and serving the Supreme Being.

But the idea that the devil is responsible for our self-centered (sinful) nature is not correct. We are responsible for our self-centered nature. We are the only ones who can decide that we want to change our consciousness. But as long as we remain self-centered, then the "devil" of the physical world will continue to tempt us with so many plans, physical goodies, wealth, fame and so on so that we become mired within the web of the physical world.

The fact is, the devil symbolizes our desire to enjoy life in a self-centered way. The devil is a self-centered outlook that sees everything around us as objects for our enjoyment. This means that the devil, in fact, is an element of our current consciousness.

In our pure state, each of us is a loving caregiver of the Supreme Being. This is our natural position. Each of us is a spiritual entity: A spiritual person. And we come from the spiritual realm.

But because we became self-centered, and became envious of the Supreme Being, we were tossed out of the spiritual realm and forced to take on physical bodies. These temporary physical bodies are like vehicles: We get in them and drive them for a while.

This means that we are not these bodies, and our true nature is spiritual. This is the meaning of Jesus' statement that "Man does not live on bread alone." Each of us needs spiritual food.

What else does man live on besides bread?

Jesus is referring to Moses' teachings. Moses taught that "man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

How can a person "live" "on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

It is love for the Supreme Being. It is a loving relationship with God. When such a devoted person hears from their Beloved, they are happy.

This combines with doing what pleases God. Then when that person follows through on something God says, (translated in Deut. as "commands") they become fulfilled. What God says indicates what pleases Him. If a person does what pleases God out of love, their love is complete, bringing complete fulfillment.

This is what each of us is eternally hungry for. And this is why we are never satisfied with the physical stuff of this world. We are not satisfied with material things, whether it is wealth, fame, power or sensuality. Even the richest, most powerful people in the world are still empty for this reason. We can only be fulfilled when we are lovingly seeking to please our Best Friend and Soul Mate - the Supreme Being.

This is what Jesus is communicating. Yes, Luke clearly indicates that Jesus was tempted by a desire to eat while he was fasting. He was fasting as a sacrifice to please the Supreme Being, and this desire to eat came upon him, but he refused it by commanding that his need was spiritual food, not physical food.

He loves us without condition and wants us to return home to Him because He knows that only this will make us happy.

This is why both Jesus and Moses taught the most important commandment is:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'" (Luke 10:27 and Deut 6:4)

"Be clean!" ... show yourself to the priest and offer ..." (Luke 5:13-14)

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." (Luke 5:12-14)

Here Jesus is purifying a man who worshiped Jesus. How do we know the man worshiped Jesus?

When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him. (Luke 5:12).

His cleansing also healed the man's leprosy, after which Jesus instructed the man to make offerings to the Supreme Being to complete his process of cleansing. Here is the text just prior to this:

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. (Luke 5:12-13)

This brings up some serious questions about Jesus' mission and his healings:

Was Jesus' mission to heal people? Why then did only a few people get healed?

Why, understanding that miracles are also considered signs, did Jesus say:

"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!" (Matthew 12:39)

The scriptures indicate that Jesus healed only a handful of people during his ministry. Why didn't Jesus heal everyone? Why didn't he heal the entire population from their various diseases? Or for that matter, why didn't he heal the entire world of disease?

Was it that Jesus just didn't have the power to heal everyone? Or perhaps disease among humanity was just out of control, and neither God nor Jesus can heal all of it?

Does God care about our suffering?

For that matter, why is there disease at all? Does God and/or Jesus not care about us? Why do our bodies suffer from diseases, and then old age, and then death? Does God not care, or perhaps things have just got out of hand and He lost control?

This, in fact, is what some teach: That God has lost control over the world and Satan has taken it over, and that is why there is so much suffering.

If this is true, how could they be referring to "God" then? "God" refers to an omniscient being - the Supreme Being - a person who controls everything. If they claim that Satan has taken over the world, that means that God is not really God. That He is not in control.

This also means that they do not really believe in the existence of God. It means - despite all their talk about "faith" and "worship" - they are actually atheists. They do not really believe in an all-powerful, omniscient God.

Do they even know who God is?

What it also means is that they do not know the God that Jesus is teaching us about. Jesus is teaching about the omniscient God - the Supreme Being. One who is in control and has not lost control over the world or anywhere else.

The essential questions regarding suffering, disease, old age, death, and the existence of the Supreme Being are not being answered by these teachers. They also are not being answered adequately by the many speculative philosophies that abound, including groups that have even utilized the word "science" in their monikers.

They cannot answer these questions because the teachers of these institutions do not know the answers to these questions. They put forth speculative interpretations and philosophies that cannot even explain the most BASIC principles of existence: They do not know who we are. They do not know who God is. They confuse the Supreme Being with Jesus, and some inventors of new speculative philosophies have even taught they are God's incarnation.

Not knowing the BASIC principles of who we are, and who God is, creates a gap of knowledge that these teachers have tried to fill with speculation and empty repetition.

Some teach that Jesus' crucifixion was the only way that we are cleansed of our sins. They say that Jesus is God and he had to sacrifice Himself to cleanse humanity of Adam's "original sin." This is nonsense. God does not need to sacrifice Himself like an animal in order to cleanse anyone. What kind of God is that? Does God have to follow some rules of sacrifice?

And if God had to sacrifice Himself on a cross to cleanse our sins what is going on with this man who worshiped Jesus and was cleansed? Why did he not have to wait until Jesus' crucifixion?

"Be clean!" indicates that Jesus has the authority to purify someone, and his statement, "show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them" indicates that the purification of this man's sins was completed through an offering to God - as was instructed to Moses by God and instructed to Moses' students.

Both of these statements indicate that people could certainly be cleansed prior to Jesus' crucifixion, through following the instructions of God's representative. If Jesus' crucifixion was the only way for humanity to be cleansed, how come Jesus cleansed this man?

What is sin?

"Sin," in fact, is basically self-centered activity that harms others. And this can only be purified through activities that re-develop our loving relationship with God and God's .

But because these teachers must fall in line with their institutions in order to keep their salaries, they are beholden to the election and appointment by councils of deacons, cardinals, and bishops. So they must maintain a philosophy originally imparted by those who sought to gain followers and control populations through domination of the Roman Pauline theology.

As they have embraced the interpretations of the early Church - driven by the political ambitions of Constantine and his surrogate Nicene Synods - they have left behind the very core principles of Jesus' teachings as only passed down by his dedicated disciples to those dedicated students who passed those teachings on without changing its substance.

What are we made of?

The first principle, lying in open sight throughout the scriptures, yet hidden from view by those who mistranslated over it and misinterpreted around it, is that we are spiritual persons - and not the physical body. The physical body is a vehicle we operate for a temporary period of time. After it dies, we continue to live.

It is like a person stepping into a car and driving it. When the car breaks down the person can step out of it and walk away. In the same way, the body is driven by the spiritual person - which has been relegated by English translators of Biblical literature to the term "spirit." Let's consider some of the many verses that confirm Jesus was teaching that we are spirit in essence, not these physical bodies:

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matt. 26:41, Mark 14:38)

"Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:36)

"The spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." (John 6:63)

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matt. 27:50)

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Romans 8:16)

"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?" (2 Corinthians 2:11)

We can see that Jesus' students reflected this teaching:

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His Hame. (Luke 1:46-49)

"He [Jesus] appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)
"Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?" (James 4:5)

"Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:4)

The word "spirit" in all these verses comes from the Greek word πνεῦμα (pneuma), which means, according to the lexicon: "the vital principal by which the body is animated," "the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides," and "the soul."

Who is it that "feels, thinks, decides"? It is the person - I - the spiritual being who "animates" the physical body.

This is who we are: We are spiritual persons, and we are operating these temporary physical bodies.

The same word, πνεῦμα (pneuma) translated to "spirit" in the scriptures is also used sometimes to describe God, as in "Holy Spirit" or simply "the Spirit." But in these uses, the word πνεῦμα (pneuma) is preceded by an adjuctive such as ἅγιος (hagios) which refers to the Supreme Being - and typically translated to "Holy" as in "Holy Spirit."

This is because God's identity is also spiritual. God is not subject to the limitations of the physical world. He may appear as He wishes in the physical world, but He is not of the physical world. This was confirmed by Jesus:

"God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)

This indicates clearly that the Supreme Being's identity is also spiritual. It is not physical. This is why we cannot see God with these physical eyes unless He decides to appear before them. And this is why the speculative paintings by Michelangelo of God being an old guy with a long white beard are simply wrong. God is outside of the physical dimension.

God is not subject to time and space. He is ageless and timeless. He is eternally beautiful and ever-youthful. He doesn't get old.

πνεῦμα (pneuma) was also used in the New Testament texts to describe unembodied persons - either "evil spirits" or "good spirits." This use is consistent with referring to our identity as spirit as well - just that we also occupy a physical body.

And lastly, πνεῦμα (pneuma) sometimes appears in the texts to describe a particular character, mission, purpose or objective, as in, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:3)

These uses, however, should not be confused with the clear teaching that our identity is not physical, it is spiritual, and this is made clear by such statements by Jesus as, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matt. 26:41, Mark 14:38)

Peter and James both understood this clearly, as reflected by their teachings. Again, here is Peter's clear statement:

"Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:4)

The "inner self" Peter is describing is translated from three Greek words, namely, κρυπτός (kryptos), ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and καρδία (kardia). κρυπτός (kryptos) refers to something that is within or hidden, and ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) refers to the person - the self. The aspect of this person being the central person or inner person is confirmed with the word καρδία (kardia) which refers to the heart or innermost core.

Thus, Peter's description of the person as the "inner self" could also be translated to "the person within" or "one's core being within the body."

The fact that we are spiritual by nature is a key element of Jesus' teachings and every other prophet - teacher - discussed in the Bible. Often this has been translated to "my soul," but it must be understood within the context of their teachings that they were speaking of their soul as their spiritual self, separate from the body. For example:

"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:2)

Here David is thirsting for God. His inner spiritual self is thirsting for God. Note that just after he says his "soul" thirsts for God, he asks when "I" can go and "meet with God." If his soul was separate from himself - such as many speak of today - why couldn't his soul go and meet with God separately? Why does the "I" of David want to meet with God?

Because David's "soul" is David. It is a figure of speech to speak of the soul separately.

We might also use a similar separated syntax when we speak of a car and its driver. A person might say "I need gas" when really the car needs gas. Or a person might say "I sped up" when the car sped up. The person was merely sitting in the car pressing the gas pedal.

Throughout his teachings, Jesus clarified the fact that we are spiritual by nature and not the physical body, with phrases such as:

"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life" (John 6:27)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food....? (Matt. 6:25)

"I have food to eat that you know nothing about." "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:32 and 34)

Jesus is talking about the spiritual being in these verses, and in the latter verse, spiritual food for a spiritual person. The spiritual person (each of us) comes from the spiritual realm. This realm is God's realm, and God is spiritual.

What is the food of the Soul?

Our spiritual nature is love. By nature, each of us is fulfilled when we are loving God and loving others. This is why Jesus says that his "food" is "to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work."

Why was Jesus so interested in doing God's will?

Voluntarily doing someone else's will means wanting to please that person. A person who wants to please someone else and gives of themselves to please that person is loving that person they want to please. This means that Jesus is loving God and wanting to do what pleases the Supreme Being.

This means that Jesus' "food" is love for God.

Why is there so much suffering?

This brings us to the answers to the question of suffering brought up earlier. The Supreme Being created the physical world as a rehabilitation center for those who turned away from Him and became self-centered. We abandoned our natural loving constitution: We became diseased. So God created a world for us to get rehabilitated.

God has never lost control over the world.

We wanted to seek out our own self-centered happiness. So He set up a virtual dimension and these temporary physical bodies to enable us to act out our self-centered desires for a while.

But the Supreme Being also didn't want to lose us forever. He knows we can never be happy in this self-centered virtual state. We can only be happy when we are in our natural position as one of His loving caregivers. So He set up this virtual world with rules - in the form of consequences - so we were presented with lessons to help us learn about love and hopefully understand the difference between selfishness and love - caring for someone outside of ourselves.

In other words, suffering is something we created. Suffering is often the consequence of self-centered activities that have inflicted suffering onto others. But it is also an opportunity for us to learn. Such learning gives us empathy and understanding.

The consequences of a selfish consciousness are thus played out in the physical world for our learning experience. If we hurt someone, our bodies get hurt. If we help someone our bodies are helped. This consequence learning system is also now accepted by parenting experts as the most effective form of child learning.

And if our consequences do not play out in this lifetime, they play out in the next. This is why people can be born into suffering. They are bearing the consequences of their self-centered activities in a previous lifetime.

Yet it is important to also understand that the diseases and death in the physical world do not happen to us - they are happening to our virtual temporary physical bodies. It is like playing a video game. Our game icon can get shot and blown up and may even die. But we can still turn off the computer and walk away. In the same way, the disease and death of the physical world is happening to our virtual temporary physical bodies. We are spiritual persons. We are simply misidentifying ourselves with these bodies. This is called illusion.

The Supreme Being set this illusion up to help us learn these lessons that relate to love and selfishness. He is trying to show us that we will never be happy when we are out for ourselves. But when we care about others we feel happier. When we give of ourselves we are more fulfilled. This is our spiritual nature. We are caregivers by nature.

If we graduate to this level of consciousness, the Supreme Being will guide us to one of His loving representatives - whom He sends to the planet to re-introduce us to Him - to give us an opportunity to regain our spiritual position.

If we are serious about returning home to Him, and we follow the instructions of His representative, we can return to the spiritual realm after this physical body dies. This was described by Jesus as he stated to his disciples that he was returning to the spiritual realm after his physical body was murdered:

"Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17)

God's representative teaches his devoted students how to re-develop their loving relationship with God. This is why Jesus instructed the man to go and make offerings to God (Luke 5:14 above). This is the accepted process handed down from teacher to student by God's representatives for thousands of years to help the devoted student develop their relationship with God.

And this was precisely what Jesus was doing when he "blessed" food. He was making an offering to his Beloved, the Supreme Being. Today we find that many will "give thanks" - and there is nothing wrong with this.

What are offerings to God?

But making an offering to the Supreme Being (i.e., "God, please accept this food as my humble offering by the mercy of your loving servant") is a more advanced process for developing one's relationship with God. And this is precisely what Jesus instructed the man do through the priest at the temple. (Although offering to God does not require a temple if one invokes God's Holy Name and God's representative.)

This process of re-developing our loving relationship with God invokes our spiritual self, as our spiritual self needs love. We can see how each of us needs love on a day-to-day basis as we seek the approval of others and seek to be comforted by others, and we seek to serve others in some way.

We can even see how the spiritual persons within animal bodies also seek love. We can watch a person throw a ball out for the dog to run and catch and then bring it back. Over and over - even hundreds of times - the dog will run and get the ball to bring back to his master. Why? What reward does the dog get for running so hard every time to get the ball? He is driven by love. He wants the love and approval of his master.

Because the spiritual self within the dog's body seeks love, just as we all seek true love. Love is our spiritual food, and love for the Supreme Being is the perfection of love because an exchange of love with God (loving service to God) completely fulfills our quest for love.

Jesus' was trying to give those he taught this spiritual "food" of love for God. He was trying to introduce his students to the Supreme Being and give them this spiritual "food." This is why Jesus instructed the man to make an offering to God. This is why Jesus' primary teaching (and the primary teaching of Moses and his students) was:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'" (Luke 10:27)

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied...." (Luke 6:21)

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." (Luke 6:21)

Jesus continues his lecture, directed at his disciples (Looking at his disciples...)

Is Jesus speaking literally of hunger and weeping?

How will someone who is hungry become satisfied? Is Jesus going to give them food? How will someone who is weeping turn to laughing? Will Jesus be telling them jokes?

It is nonsensical to think that Jesus is speaking literally here.

This type of speech is called figurative. When someone is speaking figuratively, they begin to speak of something that is analogous in principle or symbolic in imagery.

Let's use an example. Let's say that a school teacher is speaking to her class about her students achieving great learning and advancing in their academics. The teacher might say something like, "I want you to soar above the clouds as you gather knowledge."

Is the teacher literally saying the children will begin to fly? Certainly not. She is using "soaring" figuratively to indicate raising the mind to new levels of learning. The teacher is hoping the children will eventually go to college and continue their education.

In the same way, Jesus is speaking figuratively as he uses concepts of hunger and weeping. The meaning of these is understood when seen from the spiritual perspective:

A person who has forgotten their identity as spiritual, who has forgotten that the Supreme Being is their Best Friend and Soul Mate can be compared to someone who is hungry because we are empty without our relationship with the Supreme Being. We have nothing but emptiness without God.

And as we identify ourselves with the physical body, we are faced with continuous misfortune and letdowns. When we identify ourselves as something we are not (false identification), we cannot be fulfilled with the things that this identity consumes: the things of this physical world.

This is why even the most wealthy individuals - those with more riches than they could ever use in a lifetime, and the power to do most anything in the physical world - are still unhappy. Despite all of this wealth and power, they are still anxious.

Why are they anxious?

Why do so many have anxiety?

They are anxious because they don't want to lose their wealth. Or they are anxious about getting something they don't yet have.

There are three central anxieties of the physical world:

1) We are anxious about obtaining something we don't yet have.

2) We are anxious about the possibility of losing what we already have.

3) We are anxious about having lost something we previously had.

Every physical thing has the potential of causing all three of these anxieties. And most of the residents of the physical world are constantly in all three anxieties about different things.

For example, we might be in anxiety about finding and affording a new car, at the same time we might be fearing that someone will steal our wallet as we ride the subway home, at the same time we might be regretting having lost money in the stock market. At different times or concurrently, all three anxieties plague those who seek happiness within the physical world.

And each thing can rotate us from one type of anxiety to another. Round and round we go on this cycle of anxiety, as we look for things of the physical world to satisfy us, fear we might lose those things, and regret having lost them. This can occur in relationships with other people, material things, money, or name and fame.

And because we are spiritual in essence, none of these physical things can satisfy us.

What can satisfy us?

Yet Jesus is stating that his spiritual teachings will satisfy us. He is stating that his teachings will give a person who has the sorrow and emptiness of this world a renewed life of fulfillment and happiness.

Jesus' teachings are fulfilling.

And what, specifically, did Jesus teach that will bring fulfillment and happiness? A loving relationship with the Supreme Being:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

“I wanted to eat this Passover with you before my ordeal ..." (Luke 22:15-16)

“I wanted to eat this Passover with you before my ordeal. Because I tell you, I will not eat again until it is completed by the authority of God." (Luke 22:15-16)

What was the ordeal?

The Lost Gospels of Jesus translation of this statement by Jesus is being used, primarily because most other versions have missed two critical elements of Jesus' statement.

The first revolves around the translation of the Greek word πάσχω (paschō) - which most versions have translated to "suffering."

However, the word doesn't necessarily invoke suffering. It can also invoke a positive result. Just consider how Thayer's lexicon portrays this word:

"to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo 
- 1 - in a good sense, to be well off, in good case
2 - in a bad sense, to suffer sadly, be in a bad plight"

As such, we find that the word also indicates the possibility of a positive outcome. A better translation would thus be "ordeal."

Certainly, if Jesus was only speaking of being persecuted on the cross, that would be one thing. But Jesus is also referring to other elements of the experience - his leaving his body and returning to God in the spiritual realm - a positive outcome.

The reality is that what is often considered by materialists as negative is considered by someone devoted to God as a positive outcome.

Is death good or bad?

Those who are identifying with the temporary physical body - those who are attached to the forms and names of the physical world - will dread the death of their physical body.

But those who understand our true nature as spirit will see their body differently. They will understand that when their body dies, they continue to live. They leave the physical body behind.

Jesus clarified this:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matt. 10:28)

Now if Jesus identified himself as the physical body - and taught others to identify themselves as their physical bodies - then why is he teaching his followers not to be afraid of those who will kill the body?

Jesus was facing this very prospect. At the Passover dinner (AKA the "Last Supper") he is understanding that the next day he will face persecution by the Romans and the Jewish chief priests.

If we accept that Jesus practiced what he preached, then certainly he was not afraid of what will happen to his physical body. Because he knew they will not harm his soul - his spiritual self.

And this is what happened, according to the Gospels, which describe what took place at the time of death of his physical body:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matt. 27:50)

With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

Not only did Jesus' soul or spirit (spirit-person) leave his physical body. Jesus also committed himself (spirit-person) to the Supreme Being:

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

These verses clearly indicate that Jesus left his physical body at the time of death. His spirit-person was headed back to the spiritual realm to return to the side of the Supreme Being.

What about his resurrection?

It is obvious from multiple verses that Jesus did not appear in the same physical body - but in an angel-like form. This is why Jesus was not immediately recognized by Mary and the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them.

Jesus' sacrifice and reappearance were all done for and by the will of the Supreme Being. Jesus also indicates this in second part of the verse above:

"Because I tell you, I will not eat again until it is completed by the authority of God."

What does this mean?

Most translations translate the last part of this verse to "fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Such a translation would be inappropriate because it assumes the "kingdom of God" is somehow unfulfilled. As if the "kingdom of God" is not perfect. Such a notion would indicate that God is not perfect - which He is.

Yet the translation to "kingdom" would also be inappropriate here. The Greek word translated to "kingdom" is βασιλεία (basileia), which in this context does not refer to a place or location. It means, according to the lexicon:

"royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

Rather, what Jesus is speaking of here is God's authority. His dominion. Not some physical location.

And the Greek word ἐν (en) can also mean "by" as well as "in."

Thus we can see that Jesus is not speaking of the kingdom of God becoming fulfilled - as if God's kingdom is not already perfect. Jesus is speaking of what is going to happen to him being God's will. That what will happen to him is part of his service to God. He is accepting God's authority or dominion and understanding that the ordeal that will take place is God's will.

Why won't Jesus eat again until it is completed?

So why will Jesus not eat again until "it is completed"? Because Jesus is using food in a double entendre. Jesus is speaking of his eating spiritual food after the ordeal.

We see this analogous use of food in other statements by Jesus:

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)

Let's consider this carefully. The physical body needs food to survive, right? Yet we find that Jesus says elsewhere:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." (Luke 12:22)

So if we shouldn't worry about our body, or what we will feed the body, we must consider the food that feeds the spirit-person. The spirit-person leaves the body at the time of death. What is the food for our spirit-person? The spirit-person doesn't need to eat physical food. The spirit-person is not made of matter - but spirit. So what is the food for our spirit-person?

Jesus is defining this above. The food that feeds the spirit-person within is love for God. It is loving service to the Supreme Being - the Source of love. This is what feeds our spirit-person. This is why Jesus also said:

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." (John 6:63)

We can see all around us that each of us (spirit-persons) needs love. We are constantly seeking to love and be loved. Our bodies may be getting plenty of food and water - and may be pampered in other physical ways. But without love, we shrivel up inside.

For this reason, people strive to have loving relationships. A single person will strive to find a soul mate. And married people will strive to have children. These are attempts to feed the spirit-person in the form of loving relationships.

The problem with these strategies, however, is that these loving relationships end up becoming problematic. Marriages can either end up in divorce or forced separation at the time of death. And children grow up and eventually die as well. So these relationships based upon the physical body are more or less temporary. (A loving relationship that has a spiritual component will indeed continue.)

The biggest problem with these loving relationships is they are not completely fulfilling, because they are not directed towards our eternal Soul Mate - the Supreme Being. A loving relationship with the Supreme Being is completely fulfilling.

This is the bottom line, and the reason for Jesus' most important instruction:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)