03.11.08

the bread of life

Posted in formation, gospel at 9:39 am by len

Earlier in February I wrote a reflection on Jesus as the bread of life. Today as I cut the last slice from the last loaf of bread we have in the house, I found myself going back to the sixth chapter of John.

So simple.. so basic.. this is one of those touch points that doesn’t change, however much we expand our knowledge of God. We can add layer on layer, grow in wisdom and grace, yet we still need to feed on Jesus. We need to come with the faith of that small boy who brought the loaves and fishes. He traded in his small provision for something more enduring.

I returned to John 6 this morning and was stopped by the second verse. A great crowd followed Him “because of the signs he had performed.” Great crowds still follow Him for his signs, or for something else he provides, or for something they THINK he will provide. Whether it’s health, or wealth, or status, or security.. even just life insurance.. we are inclined to follow Jesus not because of who He is, and not with any intention to submit our lives, but as another commodity we consume for self interest. (See David Fitch on “the bridge”)

Today someone forwarded me a note about the potential end of Christian broadcasting in the US. I mused for a while about the negative and positive outcome if that should occur. In the end, I’m not convinced that it would be very awful. The church survived for two thousand years without it. And the negative outcome in the power and status it has concentrated, in the personality cult mass media has enabled, and in our ability to participate in religion without relationship and accountability outweigh any benefits.
The other piece that hit me today as I read in John 6 is how much this chapter flows from the beginning of the gospel. The Word becomes flesh, and He is the bread of life. It’s all incarnation, and no dualism here. When we sit at the table we are reminded that God loves matter. He invented it. Our final destination is not a spirit without body, but a material resurrection in a renewed earth.

And the process itself is thoroughly material, however much there might be times when we wish it was not. We stumble along in cracked pots, often tired, sometimes discouraged, perhaps there are days when we even lack the bread we need. But the kingdom prayer reminds us that God understands our need, and daily we ought to pray for His kingdom to come, and for our basic needs to be met. The order of those requests is no coincidental. If we seek first His kingdom, He promises to give us the bread we need. And what we need most profoundly is for Jesus to be our food. We cannot live by bread alone, we need living bread and living water.

Lord, give us this food always!

Permalink