John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NRSVUE)
Don’t you just love a good freebie? I admittedly made a big deal that I was turning 65 at a restaurant outing with our family that resulted in a free dessert. L’s Kitchen has the best chocolate mousse smothered in real whipped cream, by the way. Made my day!
As simplistic (or silly) as it sounds, this is a great analogy for Jesus being our Bread of Life, a free gift over and above the physical provision of food. In today’s scripture, the crowds had just witnessed Jesus performing a miracle by feeding the thousands with just a few loaves of bread and fish. Yet, that didn’t satisfy their hunger. Jesus set them straight by redirecting their longing to a different kind of food that lasts for eternal life. It’s the intangible things like God’s grace that satisfies our true hunger when we dig deeper into what’s missing in our lives. It’s the freebie we often overlook.
As we near the end of our Lenten theme, A Different Kind of Fast, we’ve learned to shift our hunger away from things like success, material possessions and security. We’ve learned to fast from things that create a scarcity mindset. If we remember that Jesus meets us in our longing, offering himself as the Bread of Life, our physical needs give way to our souls being nourished. He gives us an enduring promise of something much greater than the short-lived satisfaction of a good chocolate mousse. He gives us an abundant, eternal life. May we receive this Bread with gratitude and share it with others so that all who hunger are fed.
Question for Reflection:
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Do you ever pause to think about the phrase “daily bread” in The Lord’s Prayer?
Prayer:
Loving God, thank you for sending Jesus to provide for all our needs, physically and spiritually. As the true Bread of Life, nourish us with your grace, that we may trust in your promises and share your love with the world. Amen.
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