Not by Bread Alone
Feeding the spirit through the Word of God
WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ
The Bible is a wholly embodied book. What do we mean by this? Well, a simple gleaning of the Biblical narrative teaches us about the intimate connections between our body and our soul or spirit. This should not surprise us, as God created man to be a mediator between the physical and the spiritual. Made in the image of God, man serves a priestly role. He is given dominion over the Earth, and told to subdue all things. In his eating, his body is given sustenance and strength, strength that can be used to return thanks to God.
Nourishing the Body
“our spirit must be cared for in the same way our body and mind are cared for...our spirit is able to shine and to illumine the darkness”
To be sure, both the physical and spiritual aspects of the person must be nurtured. In the case of the body, we must care for it through diet and bodily exercise. The mind can be trained through learning. However, the care of our spirit is what ultimately upholds and animates our bodies. We might think of our spirit as an airplane. Airplanes are a composite of many different parts, all working together to function as a plane is intended to function. With no motor, or if the gas tank is empty, the plane will never fly.
Nourishing the Spirit
We can think of the spirit in similar terms. Without the spirit, or if our spirit is not nourished, the rest of the human being cannot operate as intended. This means that our spirit must be cared for in the same way our body and mind are cared for. Much like fire, our spirit is able to shine and to illumine the darkness. But without fuel, the fire will slowly begin to withdraw until it is completely put out.
Jesus echoes this in his time in the wilderness:
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”Matthew 4:4
God offers us a type of nourishment that cannot come simply through bread. It is through the word of God that our spirit is given life.
As the Psalmist sings,
“Give me life according to your word!”
Psalm 119:25
When the word of God enters us, our spirit is uplifted and drawn back toward himself. The reverse is also true. When we cut ourselves off from God, we begin to reflect the idols in which we worship. Idols have no life in themselves, and because they cannot give life, it begins to spiritually kill us. But when our spirit is upheld in the word of God, we become like mirrors that reflect the image of Jesus.
As he teaches us:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
Hope of the World to Come
This reflection becomes a manifestation of the fruit of the spirit; of love, patience, kindness, faith and hope. Hope upholds us in our trials that we may bear one another’s burdens. This hope will finally have its fulfillment at the end of the age when our bodies will be resurrected to dwell in the presence of God forever. This reflects the dual benefit to feeding our spirit. Our Earthly lives will be transformed as we look forward to the coming of our Lord in our spirit.
Article written by Drew Matz
A native of Southeastern Ohio, Drew moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where he earned an MA in Theology from Concordia Theological Seminary, cultivating a love for Historical Theology and Biblical Languages. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Franklin University. Being from the Appalachian Foothills, Drew is passionate about the outdoors and the natural wonder it inspires. Drew currently resides in Fort Wayne with his wife and daughter.