Author: Lee Wilson

Last week, I was enamored with the Artemis II mission. Four astronauts went deeper into space than any humans have gone in decades, flying by the moon for the first time in five decades. The marvel of human ingenuity, intellectual capacity, and determination was on full display.

The vastness, complexity, and beauty of space serve as a powerful reflection of God’s creation. As David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).

The moon is just under 239,000 miles away from Earth. As the crew encircled the lunar surface to establish orbit and begin their trajectory back home, there was a period of nearly 40 minutes when all communication with Earth was lost. No one could hear them at that point, not even NASA.

We watched this part of their journey unfold on the live NASA feed, as it was an anticipated portion of the mission. Before the radio silence, the pilot of Artemis II, Victor Glover, delivered a message to Earth. After referring to our planet as a “blue oasis in the vastness of space,” he shared these words before the silence:

“As we get close to the nearest point of the moon and the farthest point from the Earth, as we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that’s love. Christ said, in response to what is the greatest command, that it is to love God with all that you are… and He also, being a great teacher, said that there is something equal to it, and that is to love others as yourself. And so, as we prepare to go out of radio communication, we are still going to feel all of your love from Earth.”

On a mission that carried people into one of the deepest parts of space humans have explored, across national television networks and live feeds around the world, the message of Christ and His love was being proclaimed. How amazing is that?

We should all take heart in the fact that, in a space capsule over 200,000 miles into the vastness of space, the prevailing thought on board was a reflection of our need for Jesus. In Luke this week, we studied the details and rules surrounding the Sabbath, and why there are guidelines for work and a need for rest.

Jesus calmly and directly proclaims, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5). Whether we are at work, on vacation, or floating along the edges of the cosmos, He is our portion. He is what we need. There is no distance you can travel on Earth or in the heavens where you will not find Him.

So today, marvel at the creation and rest in the truth that Jesus is Lord over all of it.

This week in Luke 6, we studied how Jesus and the disciples were accused of “work” on the Sabbath, which was not allowed because the Sabbath was meant for rest.

The two cited examples are a simple act of eating grain kernels and a miracle healing, both of which seem noble and good. So, what exactly is work? What exactly is rest? Why did the Pharisees get so bent out of shape?

The average American works between 90,000 and 100,000 hours in their lifetime. That is roughly 10 to 13 years’ worth of work. If we are going to spend that much time working, it would benefit us to find work we enjoy doing.

I met with a young leader, whom I greatly respect and admire, and we discussed her potential next career move. She eventually said she just wanted to find a job where she could “help others.” That sentiment reflects a deep calling on each of our souls as godly creations. In fact, Paul says work is one of the ways we are provided for in order to serve others (Ephesians 4:28). This is surely work worth doing.

The first human to work is described in Genesis 2:15, when God places Adam in the Garden of Eden and tells him to “work it and keep it.” It is noteworthy that work existed before sin entered the world. You see, work is not the 9-to-5, 40-hour-a-week construct that modern society has made it. God created work, and He intended it for good, meaningful purposes.

Adam was not tending the garden to pay a mortgage or put food on the table. He was cultivating God’s perfect creation and working for the purpose of honoring the Creator. We were made for this kind of work.

We were also created for rest. Yes, you need roughly seven to nine hours of sleep each night to function well (early-season West Coast trips for the Braves can make this difficult), but we also need defined periods of non-work. Studies suggest that, in addition to good nightly rest, we need roughly 15 to 21 days of vacation per year, along with weekly periods of intentional relaxation for our brains to decompress.

Some suggest breaking up time off into a series of long weekends and taking daily “unplugged” time away from screens and technology. Others recommend longer vacations, noting that peak psychological happiness often occurs around the eighth day of a vacation, according to one study. Either way, rest is important.

God Himself is the first worker we encounter in the Bible, as the opening of Genesis describes His work of creation (Genesis 1). He is also the first to rest, as He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1) at the conclusion of creation. If God works and rests, and we are made in His image, it is clearly important for us to find a balance between the two.

Through this lens, it becomes clear that when Jesus was accused of “working” on the Sabbath by the pontifical Pharisees, they had completely missed the point. Feeding your friends and helping others is not the kind of work we should abstain from, even on the Sabbath.

So by all means, take your Sabbath and rest. Book a long vacation, and spend time away from screens and technology to decompress. We need rest, but we are also meant to work. In fact, Paul says that whatever we do, we should do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Holding both in balance, modeled after the example Jesus set for us, will always be our best guide for how to live.

In order for the human body to function and grow properly, it must consume six essential nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. I am not sure about you, but for me, coffee is rather essential as well.

There are a variety of things these nutrients provide. Carbohydrates are a key source of energy, proteins help with muscle repair, and fats are for energy storage. Coffee, of course, is for sanity. Our bodies are incredible creations, finely tuned to support our daily function and needs, as long as we receive the right nutrients along the way.

So, when the disciples were hungry, Jesus simply allowed them to eat. In Luke, it is recorded that they “plucked and ate some of the heads of grain” as they were walking through grainfields (Luke 6:1). When challenged for condoning this “work” on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of David, who once ate the “bread of the Presence” in the temple while running for his life from King Saul.

The story, recorded in 1 Samuel 21, details how David was fleeing from Saul and sought refuge in the temple. Hungry, he claimed to be on a secret mission at the king’s behest and asked the priest to provide bread for him. The only bread available, the bread of the Presence, was consecrated and forbidden by Levitical law to be eaten by anyone except the priests (Leviticus 24:9).

At David’s request, the priest Ahimelech willingly provided him with the bread. Before he left, David noticed the king’s men in the town and asked if there was a weapon available to protect himself. In what is my favorite part of this story, the priest simply said, “The only weapon we have is the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed” (1 Samuel 21:9).

David was hungry, so he was fed. David needed protection, so the Lord provided—in a serendipitous way. The rule was that the bread of the Presence was for the priests, yet this rule was set aside to care for God’s chosen. And the sword, which was only available because of David’s obedient courage when he slew Goliath, became his means of protection.

This story would have been very familiar to the Pharisees, which is why Jesus was quick to remind them of it. They did not truly care that the disciples were eating grain; they cared that Jesus challenged their rules and their way of living, and they wanted Him gone. This was simply another instance of their eagerness to remove Him from their midst.

We very much live in a world filled with people who want to remove Jesus from their midst as well. We see it in conflicts, wars, political gridlock, and even in the smaller, personal heartbreaks that ripple through our days.

In spite of whatever challenges you may face today, it is important to remember that, as believers, God will provide for us just as He did for David. Our true nourishment, our bread, our sword—it is Jesus.

If you spend time in Scripture, you will no doubt find plenty of instruction and guidance for holy living. We are not often eager for correction, but the Bible abounds with examples of God’s people being corrected and reoriented onto the right course.

By the time Jesus arrived on earth, it was not to reaffirm all the ways the Jewish people had gotten God’s Word right, but rather to course-correct and adjust their focus. In this week’s reading, we see Him healing on the Sabbath to the direct scorn of His Pharisaic observers.

The Pharisees, as we learn, had so ritualized their faith that they had lost sight of what truly mattered. It was more important to them that the people under their care follow their rules and ordinances because, in their eyes, that was the holy way to live.

When referring to this “heavy labor of legalism,” Pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.”

The real danger, in other words, is the line of thinking that some part of salvation can come from within. Jesus said, “For I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). We cannot save ourselves; we must rely on and trust in Jesus.

In the passage from Luke this week, we see the disciples eating grain kernels and Jesus performing a healing miracle, both on the Sabbath. These are acts of mercy provided by God to His people—one in the form of sustenance and the other in the form of restoration.

The outrage that followed from the Pharisees was legal in nature, but what Jesus said in response was simple: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” In other words, He was saying, “I am in charge, not you, and I choose mercy over your ritualistic rules.”

The need for supplementary processes and procedures had so blinded the religious leaders that they lost sight of God’s heart altogether. Everything He had given them up to that point flowed from His merciful love for His people, yet they did not understand.

We were encouraged on Sunday to “let our understanding slow our criticism.” This understanding of God’s mercy was lost on the Pharisees, but let it not be lost on us. God will always provide for His people—even on the Sabbath.

When Jesus allowed His disciples to eat grain and when He performed a healing miracle on the Sabbath, Luke records that the Pharisees were “filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11).

They were furious over the fact that Jesus, whom they already disliked, was breaking their rules. Over centuries, God had delivered His commands and laws to the Jewish people through the words and writings of prophets, providing instruction and correction to guide His people toward a holy way of living.

The Pharisees were a group of religious zealots who had taken that law and added hundreds of additional requirements to prevent even an accidental violation. These included oral traditions, rituals, and rules concerning handwashing, dietary restrictions, tithing, strict Sabbath observance, and more.

When Jesus arrived and did not affirm the rules they had created, it infuriated them. Filled with self-righteous arrogance, they made the grave mistake of thinking they had the authority to add to God’s law. They had become overly legalistic, missing the point of God’s instructions entirely.

This reminds me of moments in parenting. My 10-year-old was blessed with the ability to incite utter and unconscionable insanity from his parents. For example, he has a knack for starting a fight with his little brother in the back seat, prompting a comment like, “All right, not another sound back there!” from his dad.

Then, after a brief period of silence, I glance in the rearview mirror and notice his face turning red, almost purple. With concern, I look back at him, and he says with a strained grunt, “You said not a sound, so I wasn’t breathing.”

The exasperation I feel in those moments, because of his overly literal—and arguably antagonistic—interpretation of my instructions, is something any parent can understand. I can only imagine how Jesus felt at the suggestion that He was not properly observing Sabbath regulations.

When I give instructions to my kids, it comes from a place of love. It doesn’t make sense to create an endless list of rules to address every minor infraction throughout the day. Instead, it makes more sense to help them understand what acceptable behavior looks like and to use discernment to make wise decisions.

The Pharisaic additions to the law ultimately reflect a lack of trust. They did not believe the law, as given, was sufficient. Their misinterpretation, even if well-intended, became the foundation of a sinful disdain that ultimately led to Jesus being put on the cross.

So today, remember that His Word is sufficient for us. We don’t need to be legalistic, overly literal, or add to the instruction He has given. We simply need to trust Jesus.

It seems a bit perplexing to consider the temptations of Jesus. As believers, we affirm the divine nature of Christ, meaning He is not bound by the limitations of ordinary men.

So how can human temptations really work on Jesus? If He is God in the flesh, a mere human enticement would be no match for Him, right? Part of the significance lies in the fact that while He was fully God, He was also fully man.

He felt hungry, He felt tired, He felt happy, and He felt sad—all in the same way you and I experience those things. This is not to be scoffed at; it is a pivotal element of this passage.

We have all heard the refrain “I know how you feel” before. It is a common attempt to assuage an aching heart, but it can easily seem to drip with insincerity. In one of the Harry Potter movies, Harry is being comforted after losing his godfather. He had already lost both of his parents and a close friend. His professor attempts to comfort him by saying, “I know how you feel,” to which Harry replies sharply, “No, you don’t.”

In instances like this, it can almost make things worse to try to relate to someone experiencing something you have never had to endure. We don’t want a disingenuous attempt at relatability—we want the real thing.

We want to find someone who has been through it before to tell us, “It’s okay. I made it through, so you can too.” When we lost our infant daughter, I clung to the words of parents who had been through similar loss, hoping we could find eventual peace.

When Jesus comes to earth as a human being, it is so He can look us in the eye and say, “I know how you feel,” and mean the full weight of that statement. He hadn’t eaten in forty days, was sleeping in a rocky and unforgiving desert, and stood face to face with evil incarnate.

The full intensity of His temptations, according to theologian R. C. Sproul, is said to have been greater than what any moral human could endure—and yet, He did. Now, when you find yourself worn down by the grind of life, stressed out and tired in your own personal desert, you can cling to the hope found in His resolve.

We serve a God who has been through every hurt, pain, and stress we have ever felt—even unto death. And He overcame it all. Praise God for this truth.

Though we may walk through the wilderness from time to time, if we keep His Word in our hearts and minds, He will help us overcome it all—even death.

When Jesus was baptized and subsequently led into the wilderness by the Spirit, He fasted for forty days and forty nights. Depriving the human body of food for that period of time would obviously require restfulness and plenty of hydration, and under no circumstances would it have been easy.

So why did He do it? Jesus, we believe, is fully God but also fully human. He was most definitely hungry and tired by this point and no doubt felt exhaustion. His ability to relate to us and our human needs is certainly relevant when we think about why He endured temptation and fasting—but might there be a deeper meaning?

The first temptation of man took place in Eden. Adam and Eve, unlike Jesus, had full bellies and lived in a world free of sin. Animals were subservient to them, and every need was provided amid a lush and green garden. In this place of abundance, they chose sin.

Jesus, on the other hand, was in the midst of a harsh wilderness, surrounded by “wild animals” (Mark 1:13) that would pose a great risk to a solitary human. The Judean wilderness is more aptly described as a rocky desert with a harsh, arid climate. Its inhabitants include the Arabian leopard, caracals, and scorpions like the aptly named “deathstalker.” The canyons and peaks might make for pretty pictures, but it is no place for a man to live.

It was in this harsh terrain, juxtaposed with the lush Garden of Eden, that Jesus was led by the Spirit to go. His humanity was hungry, tired, and withered. And there, He came face to face with the Devil, to whom “all authority” in this world had been given (Luke 4:6).

In the middle of desolation, we find a clear picture of holiness. In a place where carnal temptations would be at their greatest, Jesus perseveres by the power of the Spirit and keeps Scripture on His tongue to send the Devil away unsuccessful. Where Adam failed, Jesus redeemed.

We find ourselves living in a sinful world every day, lush with temptations and trials. We are still under the curse of original sin, and thus we need the faithful hand of God to help us through. Fasting and prayer are one way we can seek God’s guidance, especially when facing trials.

In fact, Jesus speaks as though He expects us to fast (Matthew 6:16–18). So how might we approach it? Pastor John Piper describes fasting as “a temporary renunciation of something that is in itself good, like food, in order to intensify our expression of need for something greater—namely, God and His work in our lives.”

We are not commanded to fast; it is not an explicit mandate. But if Jesus is our perfect example to follow, then I think it is prudent for us to examine its place in our lives. It may not even be a food fast—maybe it’s technology or coffee, or maybe it’s abstaining from watching the Braves (easy to do in 2025, so maybe that doesn’t count).

Whatever it may be, I pray that you find a way to connect with Jesus a little more deeply by doing so. I pray you find your “temporary renunciation” so that you can “intensify your expression of need for something greater.”

I don’t know if science still agrees that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—but it is definitely my favorite. I love a good cup of dark roast coffee, some scrambled eggs, and bacon. And what about pastries? Donuts? Waffles, pancakes—French toast??

I think it is clear: breakfast can offer plenty of temptations to us.

When Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, He relied on Scripture and obedience to overcome it. It is crucial, therefore, that we spend time in the Scriptures and in prayer—but what should that look like?

Everyone’s routines are different, but I try to spend time in Scripture and prayer every day before work. Sometimes that is at home, but many times it is listening to Scripture on my short drive to work and praying before I clock in for the day.

Jesus speaks directly to how we should pray in both Matthew (6:9–13) and Luke (11:2–4) in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer:

And He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

As we have focused on temptation this week, I thought it would be interesting to focus on that last line. What did He mean by “lead us not into temptation”? God does not lead us into sin—we know that (James 1:13)—so how should we interpret this?

Pastor and theologian Charles Spurgeon said this on the subject:

“The reason for presenting that petition must be because we are so weak and frail. We ask that we may not be burdened, for our back is not strong; and we plead that we may not have sin put before us in any of its enticing forms, for oftentimes the flesh borrows strength from the world, and even from the devil, and these allied powers will be too much for us unless the omnipotence of God shall be exerted on our behalf to hold us up lest we fall.”

We are to be so desperate to avoid temptation because of its frightening power over our weakened human condition. What a humbling thought. Jesus is instructing us, for our own good, to ask God not to allow any temptations to befall us that we can’t handle.

Spurgeon goes on to add hope to the equation, saying the Lord will supply us with the wherewithal to endure what He does allow to come our way:

“God’s way of escape from trial is not for His people to avoid it, so as not to pass through it, but such an escape as leads them through the trouble and out at the other end; not an escape from the Red Sea, but an escape through the Red Sea from a still greater trial. If you, beloved, are exposed to trial or temptation, you are to be made able to bear it.”

Our enemy knows our weaknesses, and he also knows that our strength does not come from within, but rather from our faith in the Lord. So I pray today that no undue trials be laid before you, and that you be given the strength to overcome any that do.

I grew up with a fascination for sharks. Great whites, tigers, makos, and hammerheads—I love learning about them and talking about them. They fascinate me.

One dangerous shark you may not know about is the oceanic whitetip. It lives in the shallow zones of the deepest part of the ocean (known as the pelagic zone) and therefore isn’t encountered often by humans unless you have the misfortune of a shipwreck. It is known as “aggressively opportunistic” and takes advantage of fishermen’s catches or people abandoned at sea.

The whitetip hunts at a haunting pace, stalking prey in a way that makes its presence known. Given its deep habitat, there is nowhere to run. The whitetip approaches its prey methodically, tiring it out little by little, even taking small nibbles until the prey has no ability left to fight before devouring it.

It is more advantageous to attack when your prey is at its weakest.

This strategy is not unique to the whitetip, and it is certainly effective. When Jesus was in the Judean wilderness, He was at His humanly weakest. He hadn’t eaten in 40 days, and He was all alone. So the enemy took the opportunity to attack.

It often seems that our toughest challenges come when we are least equipped to fight them. When we are tired, stressed, and spread too thin—did I just describe you?—that is when we get hit with another curveball. This is not a unique experience for us, because we are at our most vulnerable in these moments, and our “aggressively opportunistic” enemy chooses these moments to attack.

Our enemy similarly stalks us from afar and approaches with small inconveniences—your headlight is out, the AC in your car is on the fritz—and then continues to build a mounting attack: your work schedule has changed and now it conflicts with your kid’s basketball schedule, and don’t forget to have the inspector come check that leak in the roof—until we start to crack.

Before you know it, the stresses are piling up, your attitude with your spouse is poor, and you snap at your kids for no reason. This is how the enemy wins—one bad moment at a time.

In these moments, our faith becomes imperative. In Jesus’ responses to the temptations of Satan, He consistently used one phrase over and over: “For it is written.” In other words, He used Scripture in His defense, relying on God’s Word to remind Himself where to turn in moments of weakness.

This is an example we must follow. Spend time in the Word and get to know God day by day. I pray you are able to hear His voice in your weakest moments and cling to those truths close to your heart. Our enemy is real—so too must our faith be!

My younger son has recently developed a real interest in playing Mario games on the Nintendo Switch, but he isn’t quite good enough to play them by himself. He often plays a little and then has a routine: “Hey Dad, a little help?”

He loves playing the games and enjoys the characters, including Bowser, the villain. As in most simple video games, Bowser is the final level you have to beat in order to complete the game. However, you have little dust-ups in other levels as the game progresses, which reach a crescendo in the final level of the game.

When we read through this week’s passage in Luke and study the temptation of Christ, we see Jesus exhausted and hungry at the end of a 40-day fast. Then He comes face to face with the one true villain—Satan himself.

Theologian R. C. Sproul described the scene in a message he delivered on this passage. He claimed that Satan was attempting to appeal to and corrupt the human nature of Christ. Jesus, being a fully human representation of God, felt these temptations on a human level but responded to them divinely—rebuking Satan and upholding His purity.

In an interesting note, the passage ends by saying that Satan was defeated temporarily, but that he would return “at an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). In other words, this was the dust-up, not the final level, if you will.

We know how the story ends on this side of heaven. Satan did return, and he brought death upon the Son of Man, sending Jesus to an agonizing and torturous death on the cross. Then, in His truest manifestation of divinity, Jesus was resurrected from the dead and denied evil its victory.

The significance of this for us is that we have a high priest who is sympathetic and understands our temptations and trials, yes—but also One who is capable of defeating our enemy.

We face temptations every day. Some are small; some are big. Intuitively, I am betting you can tell the difference. What is key for us is understanding that we serve a God who defeats our enemy and secures the victory.

You don’t have to be strong enough to overcome all that the enemy throws at you, as long as you remember to follow the One who is. I pray you are able to cling to your faith in Jesus amid any temptation you face today.