Luke 4:3 And the devil said to him, If you be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. What force there is often in a single monosyllable! What force, for instance, in the monosyllable "if," with which this artful address begins! It was employed by Satan, for the purpose of insinuating into the Saviour's mind a doubt of His being in reality the special object of His Father's care, and it was pronounced by him, as we may well suppose, with a cunning and malignant emphasis. How different is the use which Jesus makes of this word "if" in those lessons of Divine instruction and heavenly consolation, which He so frequently delivered to His disciples when He was on earth l He always employed it to inspire confidence; never to excite distrust. Take a single instance of this: "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" What a contrast between this Divine remonstrance and the malicious insinuation of the great enemy of God and man! (Dean Bagot.)Oh, this word "if"! Oh, that I could tear it out of my heart! O thou poison of all my pleasures! Thou cold icy hand, that touchest me so often, and freezest me with the touch! "If! I!" (Robert Robinson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.WEB: The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." |
    |