ALAN EASON — Satan threw a major temptation at Jesus after he had been fasting forty days in the desert. Jesus was starved.

“If you are the son of God, tell the stones to become bread,” Satan said. (Matthew 4:4) In essence, the devil was asking him why he didn’t go after the easy bread. Jesus had an answer ready at hand, and we’ll get to that in a minute. But first, let’s talk about the temptation to go after easy bread.

In this political season we see all sorts of solutions offered for the problems of the country. We see lots of baiting and trapping going on with both political parties. “Easy bread” is a common theme. Just place your dependency — your trust — in this person or that person, in this party or that party, this policy or that policy; and you will have bread for life. That’s really what some are saying.

Many of these same folks then turn around and criticize the other side by saying, in effect, “They don’t care for those of you who are poor or hurting! They are not willing to give you bread! Elect us and we will!”

Throughout history, the cry for easy bread has caused kingdoms to rise and fall. In Rome, even before Julius Caesar, wheat subsidies and the offer of free land were used to gain populist power and overrule the system of democracy that the republic enjoyed. Later, after Rome had lost its democracy and become an empire ruled by tyrants, the caesars used bread and entertainment (Panem et Circenses) to hold the people’s support for their despotism. The bloody carnage in the Colosseum and other gladiatorial games was part of their naked power play to enslave the basest of human instincts.

The easy bread concept has helped empower dictators and power blocs for centuries. Marie Antoinnette opened the palace windows to find a crowd screaming for “Bread.” She mocked them, but the Jacobins promised them the bread they wanted, killed her and the royal family, and then began a reign of terror.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917, bread riots gave a base of power to Lenin and his Bolsheviks. Lenin crafted one of his most powerful slogans around that desire: “Bread, Land, Peace and All Power to the Soviets.” Once he got the power he needed, he squashed the new Russian democratic government and took absolute control.

Jesus often warned us that we humans are like sheep. He once fed 5000 people with miraculously-produced bread. What is easier than that? The people immediately clamored to make him king. He was already the King of the Jews and he knew it, but now the people saw what they wanted and were ready to hand him a crown and a robe — maybe even a revolution.

John tells the story like this: “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” (John 6:15)

Jesus saw them coming and went the other way. When they caught up with him, he proceeded to preach a sermon which drove away most of his audience:

Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (John 6:26-27)

They then came back to him with the easy bread angle:

So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” (John 6:30-36)

He chewed them out. They wanted the easy bread but they did not want the tough faith walk that God requires. A few sentences later, Jesus told them: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51)

Even his own disciples murmured: “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” (John 6:60)

He continued: “Does this offend you? … It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)

Whoa, many of them must have said. What is this? We need easy bread and you give us a bunch of “spirit” talk? You tell us that our fleshly needs are not important?’ The fair-weather followers quickly found the exit. The “easy bread” bubble was gone. Jesus had burst it.

We need to take a hard look at ourselves, just as Jesus’ disciples did. We need to look at our churches. We need to look at our society. Is the “easy bread” path really the path to anything good? We have seen that it can be a great tool for Satan to use to get control of a lot of people who are simply after better food and a better life. But it is a deception. A trap.

Well, then, you ask, what is the right way to get our bread, live our lives, grow our careers, build our churches and do all those other things we believe are good?

The answer lies within the very first answer Jesus gave to Satan when he tossed the idea to him in the desert.

“It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

In other words, bread itself is not the answer. That is not what we need the most. We need every word from the mouth of God. We need the Bread of Life. It is what makes us whole, healthy, strong, vigorous and productive — as individuals, families and churches. It is even true for a nation. If we use that as a guide, then we will have, as scripture promises and history proves — in America especially — bread aplenty.

As we enter a time of great national consequences, we must realize this is a time of great temptation for us and for our neighbors to look for an easy solution. Many will simply follow those promising the easy bread, and ignore the spiritual famine facing our nation. We must resist the easy bread, and teach others to do the same.