The "bread of life"

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The bios of Jesus, given in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are accounts that might be partly symbolic and partly literal. If the spiritual psychologist Dr. Carl Jung was right, they are written as allegories or symbolic statements. For example, the famous "Christmas story " has Jesus born among the animals in a manger. This could be interpreted as meaning that the Spirit of Love (Christ) must be "born in the heartmind" among the "animals" of the lower nature.

In the Temptation story, during his forty days fasting in the wilderness, "Satan" approached Jesus. This means that he was, as we all are, "assaulted" and challenged by the lower nature (fear, Love's opposite).

"Satan" then challenged him: "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread."

The "stones" can be seen as earthly (lower) thoughts, for stones come from the earth. These thoughts or ideas are not flexible, but rigid; and they are often quite heavy, as well. Bread can signify life, especially life in Christ. (He said elsewhere, "I am the bread that came down from heaven.") So, the lower nature ("Satan") tries to convince us that, by our own self- (ego-) generated thoughts, thoughts of the lower nature, we can become enlightened and enjoy a truly spiritual life. Of course, this is a lie, and we never can. Jesus' repudiation of this premise shows that it is wrong, and that only by yielding to thoughts of the higher nature (God, Love) can we become alive spiritually.

This, btw, is the meaning of partaking of the bread of Communion (Eucharist). Only by letting the Christ into our heartminds, and never by simply filling the mind with ego-thoughts, can we find the wisdom of Love.

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