When you’re hungry for something more, Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35 (ESV)
I squirmed in my barstool at the kitchen counter as I read the email on my laptop screen. Formulating a diplomatic reply was going to be tricky business.
I wasn’t really hungry, but I slid off the barstool and headed to the pantry, where I began rummaging for something crunchy to eat. Something I could chomp on to relieve my stress. And something heavy in carbs to soothe my agitation.
But food wasn’t really what I needed. Instead, I needed peace of mind, and I wasn’t going to find that at the bottom of a bag of chips.
I didn’t need bread; I needed Jesus, the Bread of Life.In chapter 6 of the Book of John, we find the passage where Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. The next day, the crowd hunted him down and found him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus knew their motive. Because he’d performed his miracle with the loaves and the fish, they treated him as a first century version of a vending machine.
Jesus tried to show them that there are more important things in life than filling their stomachs, but the crowd was slow to get the message. They sought a sign that Jesus was sent by God, something like the sign God gave Moses and Israelites in the wilderness … namely manna.
God offers something better, Jesus told them. He offers something that will satisfy better than a good meal. Something more vital than food.
“Give us this bread!” they cried.
“I am the Bread of Life,” he declared.
When Jesus proclaimed himself as the Bread of Life, some of his followers had a hard time swallowing this teaching. They were consumed with the physical world, the here-and-now, the things of the body, the “flesh.”
But our ultimate need is for eternal life, which Jesus freely offers to all who believe in him. Jesus said his words are spirit and life. (John 6:63) When we believe in Jesus, he gives eternal life, and his Spirit comes to dwell in us. The problem is, we don’t always follow the Spirit’s guidance.
So often I’m like the people in that crowd. I want a quick fix, something to make me feel better temporarily, when what I really need is a spiritual fix.
When I choose to give the Spirit free rein, I experience the things I actually crave…. the peace that passes understanding, the patience to deal with difficult situations, and an extra measure of love to show to those who are most difficult to love. I have joy even in unhappy circumstances.
So when I reached for that bag of chips, it didn’t really solve my problem. But when I prayed, Jesus, the Bread of Life, filled me with his Spirit and gave me what I needed to deal with that troublesome email.
Bread of Life, please satisfy my unsettled soul with the nourishment only you can provide. Fill me with the peace I crave.
What are you craving today? Before you try to satisfy your craving with food, ask yourself whether the hunger is physical, or whether you’re craving something else…something more. Instead of reaching for those chips, get up and get moving. Take a prayer walk. Get some exercise. Then give your concerns to God and listen as he speaks wisdom into your soul.
When you’re hungry for something more, Jesus is the Bread of Life.
