The Matter of eating Bread

Got bread? Then you have life… that is we have life a least until the bread runs out. Right? What about have bread that will last for ever… wouldn’t you like that. Never have to buy or make bread again? The Gospel this week (John 6.35, 41-51), is the continuation of the 5 weeks of the “I am the Bread of Life” series this summer. It seems to me that there are a few things that we need to consider in the spiritual life that apply to the Gospel this week.

For example, there is the matter of collecting bread. In both the Old Testament and in the Gospels, there is an issue of learning to trust God for what is needed and that will supply his people. After all, isn’t that the purpose of praying, “Give us today, our daily bread…”? it is not about how many loaves or pans one has in the freezer downstairs, it is about learning to put our faith in God so that we can trust him and his word. This leads to building a relationship with God and friendship with God means that life takes on a new quality – eternity. Eating our daily bread equates us with being friends with God and to do that, our lives need to be like his. Therefore, we start taking on the qualities of God as we spend time with him.

Eating at table with God and with one another is a sign of trusting relationship. When we come to the table to receive, we show that we are in communion with God and with one another. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, we stay together because we meet together. I would modify that to say this, we stay together to find out what is for lunch. But we are fed for more than the purpose of staying alive to eat again do we not? We must go from being people who are fed by Christ to being people who are feeding others for Christ. People might start coming to see the ‘hocus pocus’, the magic of bread and wine become body and blood. But they stay when the discover the Body of Christ. The Christian life is about trusting and participating in Christ, by receiving and eating his body and his blood. We need as Church to go from being fed, to be a feeding people.

Think of it this way: I remember hearing a number of years ago about a Roman Catholic congregation who was hearing a message from God in their Mass every Sunday, “Go feed the poor across the River.” So, they made ready for 600 people a full turkey dinner. They went across the River from El Paso, Texas to Juárez, Mexico and set up the Christmas supper on the garbage dump where many of the poor and desperate lived. The church people were afraid that they were not going to have enough to feed everyone who was coming. They took their concern to the priest, a tall lanky man who replied, “God called us to this, we have come. It’s his problem now. They fed about 900 people and still sent bags of food to orphanages and more places besides. They did it again at Easter time, coming prepared for 900 people and feed more than 1200 and send bags of food to homes and orphanages and other places. What can we learn from this? We know that God’s work, done God’s way will not lack God’s supply (E. Hudson Taylor). 

Keep in mind that there are some who, even having experienced the great things that Christ has done, are going to complain about how it was done or when. People want to be in control of their lives, including their spirituality but forget often that God too, has a free will. And just as importantly, where God is concerned, mercy triumphs over judgement. God executes judgement for us on Christ on the cross. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. Self righteous folks want to perfect their own lives and at the same time fail to recognize just who Jesus is – the bread sent down from heaven by the Father. Receiving and participating in Jesus draws us into the living presence of God almighty. One cannot attain it, only receive it as a gift.

If you cannot trust what you have seen and can hold onto, then how will you receive and hold onto what you cannot hold on to and see with your own eyes?

Jason+