As a child when I was taught the story of Jesus fasting in the wilderness I imagined the Savior miserably wandering around the wilderness starving, with the dark figure of Satan diabolically following him around. What a GLUM preparation for the greatest mission of all TIME!
I think this is enough of a false narrative to take the time to pause, study, THINK, imagine and wonder. This is a story of preparing for a great mission! This is the process of learning, growing, receiving power and strength to know how to proceed! Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days to fast, pray and prepare for his mission and to do this went to find God.
Think of Fasting as presented in:
"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."
But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.
And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.
Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.
Go to the Index and look up Fasting primarily in the Book of Mormon and see the wonderful rejoicing words!
- Wax stronger and stronger
- Sanctification of hearts
- had spirit of prophecy and revelation
- teaching with power and authority from God
- Spirit to abide with
- Bring people to knowledge of truth
- Worshiping God with EXCEEDINGLY GREAT JOY
Yesterday I came across the Come Follow me Lesson for this week and I went to study this section, when I began to ponder and I received wonderful depth. Here is what the section says:
Communing with God prepares me to serve Him.
To prepare for His mission, Jesus went into the wilderness “to be with God” (Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 4:1 [in Matthew 4:1, footnote b]). Think of what you do to feel close to God. How does this prepare you for the work He wants you to do?
Jesus going to seek for God? He didn't go to primarily be tempted? This was a concept I had never really pondered on, I had just accepted the false idea of a heavy focus on Satan. This is how I had always been taught.
The Joseph Smith translation clears it up in Matthew 4:
Jesus is led by the Spirit, not by Satan.
1 Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be with God.
5 Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6 Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
8 And again, Jesus was in the Spirit, and it taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.
9 And the devil came unto him again, and said, All these things will I give unto thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The Lord went into the wilderness to fast for 40 days to be with God. He sought His Father in Heaven. He was lead by the Spirit. Temptation was subjected to him under the law of opposition in all things intermittently throughout his growth and learning. But it is more than just this, it is important to note the pattern of learning the Savior experienced (Edited to include more): prayer, fasting, power to overcome, searching for insight, great revelation, time to ponder, opposition, weakness exploited by Satan as he attempts to tempt. Jesus gave no heed to temptation, prayer, fasting, power to overcome, searching for insight, great revelation, time to ponder, opposition, weakness exploited by Satan as he attempts to tempt, Jesus gave no heed to temptation. See the pattern? Wash and Repeat.
One day we will know exactly what the interlude between the Father and the Son was during this period of time, but for now I love to take time to ponder and wonder what this amazing experience must have been like. I wonder what the Savior must have been asking and how the Father would have been teaching him a depth so profound it is impossible to find the words. I wonder if Heaven was watching in wonder as we saw our older brother studying, learning and growing. I wonder if we took notes? I think about His lengthy fast and how the Savior must have rejoiced in the discomfort and pain he felt in his stomach as he sanctified his soul and received additional power ever day he was able to press forward in prayer and fast. "..wax[ing] stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer...filling [his] soul with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of [his} heart." I ponder upon how this sacred conversation passed between Father and Son, a true communion, a preparation, a power of preparation! I love these images of the Savior By Greg Olson Imagine the Savior pondering over the knowledge and truth given to him by the Father. Moving forward through this sacred experience in the wilderness with positivity and truth.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie added these insights into why Jesus went into the wilderness: “Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; righteous men do not seek out temptation. He went ‘to be with God.’ Probably he was visited by the Father; without question he received transcendent spiritual manifestations. The temptations came after he ‘had communed with God,’ ‘after forty days’ [Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 4:1–2; Luke 4:2]” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:128).
“Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation. Fasting and prayer can help develop within us courage and confidence. They can strengthen our character and build self-restraint and discipline. Often when we fast, our righteous prayers and petitions have greater power. Testimonies grow. We mature spiritually and emotionally and sanctify our souls. Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly appetites and passions” (“The Law of the Fast,” Ensign, May 2001, 73). Joseph B. Wirthlin
Fasting was an important part of the Savior’s preparation for His ministry, as taught by President Howard W. Hunter(1907–95): “Soon after his baptism Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wild, uncultivated wilderness. There he remained for forty days and nights, preparing himself for the formal ministry which was then to begin. The greatest task ever to be accomplished in this world lay before him, and he needed divine strength. Throughout these days in the wilderness he chose to fast, that his mortal body might be completely subjected to the divine influence of his Father’s Spirit” (“The Temptations of Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1976, 17).
Fasting "...that his body might be completely subjected to the divine influence of his Father's Spirit." I love those words. Jesus was preparing with his Father for his mission. He was being taught, learning preparing for what was to come. He was preparing both his physical and spiritual self, his whole soul. He was making the sacrifice to fast and pray to prepare to receive the Spirit to fill his mind and body with pure light, pure knowledge and power. Jesus prepared for the upcoming whirlwind. He had every opportunity to abandon and reject his calling. But instead he prepared mightily for his mission. This is a pretty convincing case for the law of the fast. I feel my heart changing, do you feel your heart changing too?
Now let's shift our focus, take the law of prayer and fasting and apply them as a leap of faith we must take to accomplish our life missions.
First, take the time to watch this video on Spiritual Whirlwinds. While you watch, take time to see the figure that stands behind the young man as temptation after temptation is deflected! (hint: it's the Savior!)
I have seen this video countless times. Do you notice when this young man takes a leap of faith? That leap triggers a power from on high, surrounded by the power of the Savior, (look closely) even the Savior himself!
I have often pondered what this leap was about and I thought, this has got to be a leap of faith to overcome temptation! But my pondering was too narrow-minded. While I believe leaps of faith to overcome temptation are powerful faith actions, powerful enough to write an entire blog post on (and I may one day), I believe there is much more! Watch this video with a new set of eyes. Let's pretend this young man has now repented, he is still next to the tree. This Tree, like the Savior is steadfast and immovable. By the way, Jesus IS THIS TREE. Ask yourself, "How can we relate the Saviors experience of fasting to ourselves?" Imagine this young man is preparing for a mission, marriage or fatherhood. We could even imagine a young lady preparing for motherhood, a calling from her bishop or even a full time mission. Imagine increasing in power and light through regular monthly fasts, special fasts, prayer and study? Just like the Savior to prepare to increase in light, to prepare to learn, he began in holiness through fasting and prayer. He knew opposition would come, temptation would come, but 1st he sought to prepare to receive God the Father and all that the Father was waiting to give him. This LEAP of faith through fasting and prayer was the beginning of the great leap of faith! It was the preemptive defense! The way to increase in power and light! May we look to God and not the arm of the flesh as we approach our life missions.
Here is the principle. If we want true POWER from on high, we do not sit around waiting for the next temptation to come to show we are capable to receive more strength. We must first prepare through fasting, prayer, study, holy communion/revelation as we give, receive, grow and seek for continual understanding. We do not seek out temptation to prove ourselves. We do not rely on the arm of the flesh.
The first line of DEFENSE is preparation with the outstretched Arm of the Lord!
This is the first step in Increasing in Light...having a perfect brightness of Hope!
Fasting & Prayer
Study through Reading, Research, Recording, Repeating: teaching testimony (This will have to be another blog post for another time, but great subjects anyone can explore! Start with Study Helps, and the 1828 Websters Dictionary, also this amazing "gem" of a lesson on Patterns of Learning found on lds.org)
This should always be our first line of defense as we proceed.
The leap of faith has begun!
The Lord is there knocking waiting for us to make the move. We need to turn the doorknob and open up! Imagine what we will gain!
