A light to the World, to open our eyes to our own darkness, to remove the chains of bondage. Our part……..Believe and walk in faith in Jesus, who did what we could not.
“I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”
Isaiah 42:6-7 NASB
The phrase “man cannot live on bread alone” is found in the Bible, specifically in the book of Matthew. This verse emphasizes the importance of spiritual nourishment alongside physical sustenance.
TRANSLATIONVERSE TEXTNew International Version”Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”English Standard Version”But he answered, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”New Living Translation”But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”King James Version”But he answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'”
This verse is part of the account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread. His response highlights that spiritual sustenance is as vital as physical food.
This teaching underscores the belief that spiritual fulfillment is essential for life.
The Battle belongs to the Lord
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“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” NASB1995
(See notes below taken from Bibleref.com)
The Sermon on the Mount, which began early in chapter 5, contains difficult concepts for human nature to accept. Jesus is setting a seemingly impossible standard for those who would enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Refusing to murder is not enough: don’t even insult another in anger (Matthew 5:21–22). Not committing adultery is not enough: don’t even intentionally lust (Matthew 5:27–28). His larger point is that none are righteous enough to enter heaven, based on their own good deeds (Matthew 5:48). Everyone, no matter how “holy” they may seem, must receive forgiveness of sins and righteousness through faith in Christ.
This verse is often badly misunderstood, due to two ideas that are less common today: lex talionis and the idea of being slapped on the cheek.
In the prior verse (Matthew 5:38), Jesus referred to a rule in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 19:21) called the lex talionis, often summarized as “eye for an eye.” After thousands of years of Christian influence, and in fact because of that influence, modern people often think this as a cruel standard. In truth, God established this to limit violence and revenge. The point of “eye for an eye” was that punishment is to be proportional to the crime, rather than an ever-escalating cycle of revenge.
Jesus does not dispute the legal aspects of “eye for an eye,” so far as they apply to a courtroom or the government. But in personal terms, He sets a much more challenging standard. Limiting revenge is not God’s intent for the hearts of His people. Refusing revenge is God’s will and Jesus’ command to His followers (Romans 12:19). This does not mean Christians cannot flee, nor does it mean that blatant violence and evil should be met with total pacifism (Luke 22:36). It does mean that so far as we’re able, Christians are not to “return evil for evil” (Romans 12:20–21).
This is consistent with Jesus’ comments about turning the other cheek. In the ancient world, the right hand was always assumed to be dominant. Jesus specifically refers to the “right cheek,” here.” That implies a backhanded movement: to slap someone on the right cheek, with the right hand, is more intimidation and abuse than mayhem. Even in the modern world, the term “slap in the face” is used in reference to insults and slights. To “turn the other cheek” implies taking that insult and accepting that another might be on the way.
In short, Christ’s command here does not mean “you must do nothing while someone beats you into a bloody pulp.” He is speaking to believers who will experience persecution and hate from the world (Matthew 5:11–12). The proper Christian response to discrimination, mocking, or insults is to simply let it go: “don’t resist the evil person.” Instead, prove that such acts are not worth a response. Even better, as the following verses show, is to turn abuse upside down through love (Matthew 5:40–42).
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”
Matthew 1:18-25 NASB1995
Living Waters 