The Forty Day Fast of Jesus

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Luke 4:2 states that Jesus ate nothing during the forty day fast.
usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke4.htm

It doesn’t appear that this scripture is to be interpretated other than literally. If so, how are we to understand this? Did He use His supernatural power to keep His body alive?
 
Scripture doesn’t claim Jesus didn’t drink water. He could live some time without food, but not without water.
God bless you! 🙂
 
Hi…I researched the question
People can survive for several weeks without food, but only a few days without water.

God bless, Trishie
 
the Nazarene could not be tested by the fallen one if he was not at his weakest mortal state. while adam fell at the single thought of being as “gods”, Jesus had to be tested by all manner of earthly lusts.

the Nazarene had no bread, no meat and no water.

by his own will he deprived himself of his 'glory", yet his body,his own creation, was as none to date. it was perfect.
 
Scripture does not state that Jesus did without water, only food. Our opinions are special to us, but scripture is clear in its statement.

Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He **ate nothing **during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Matthew 4:1-4

Even the devil doesn’t bother to tempt Jesus with water, because Jesus was hungry not thirsty. A person can survive some days without water, not forty. Jesus refused to succumb to the devil’s temptations to use spiritual means to ease His hunger…which is also indication that it wasn’t part of His action in the wilderness.

The basic truth here though is in the specific scripture
 
I’m still not sure if we are to understand that Jesus ate absolutely nothing. It seems that one could die from such a fast or at least it is not good for one’s health. One of the Ten Commandments relates to taking care of bodily health. Is there an “official” interpretation of these scriptures?

Thank You
 
Coder said:
I’m still not sure if we are to understand that Jesus ate absolutely nothing. It seems that one could die from such a fast or at least it is not good for one’s health. One of the Ten Commandments relates to taking care of bodily health. Is there an “official” interpretation of these scriptures?

Thank You
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No, but the story is told that St Francis of Assisi went on a Lenten 40-day fast one year with only two loaves of bread (he went by himself off to a little island, so he couldn’t have gotten food from anywhere else, and was in no contact with anyone for those forty days).

When he came back he still had one-and-a-half loaves left. He claimed to have eaten the half loaf out of humility, so as not to take pride in having eaten nothing at all like Our Lord. So it would appear that human beings can do it. If even death itself had no permanent effect on Jesus the God-Man, I doubt that such a fast would compromise His health.
 
Hi Lily and thank you.
LilyM said:
If even death itself had no permanent effect on Jesus the God-Man, I doubt that such a fast would compromise His health.
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The resurrection is supernatural but we also understand that Jesus was fully human. When I refer to fasting I am referring to His normal human functions. I don’t think that Jesus used His supernatural powers to endure the fast. This is indicated by the fact that the devil tempted Him to use His supernatural powers to make bread but Jesus did not.
 
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