From the Pastor’s desk...
“Jesus, the bread of life”
“I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will not thirst.”
John 6:35
Jesus miracle of feeding 5,000 people with a boys lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish is awesome! Whether you enjoyed a delicious piece of oatmeal toast with honey at breakfast or eat a hot dog on a bun at your labor day picnic. Bread (unless you have a gluten allergy) satisfies our hunger and nourishes our life’s journey. Jesus said “I am the bread of life! When you place your faith in me, I will give you nourishment and strength not just for today but for eternal life. God feeds the world every day giving gifts of dirt, sunshine, rain and seed that grow into the food on our tables! Jesus said that we do not live by bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God! We hunger for God! He placed a God shaped hole in our heart that only he can fill! The prophets spoke of the time when people would be taught by God if they would listen. The prophet Jeremiah said, “The days are surely coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah. I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34
God promised that “as the rain and snow come down from heaven making the earth bring forth and sprout giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth!” Isaiah 40:10-11.
Jesus, the bread of God, came down from heaven and stood right in our midst and fed us with God’s words and teaching. He shares the wisdom from above. We eat and draw nourishment from his words at worship. Then like Thanksgiving eve, we go back for seconds!
To what favorite words of our Lord do you cling to and allow to shape and guide your life’s journey?
Perhaps the Beatitudes where Jesus speaks of the “blessed”
or “happy” people! They hunger and thirst for righteousness.
They are the poor in spirit, the humble, the peace makers and the merciful. He promised those who mourn shall be comforted. He leaves no one out! No one is excluded!
There is a sign on a plaque in Florida where you read the words. “I come here to find myself. It is easy to get lost in the world.” We come to a fork in life’s road and cannot decide which way to turn. There are hard decisions to be made, we can get lost. Then Jesus or the words of our good shepherd lead us on right pathways. If you look, He is right beside us every step of the way!
Luther wrote, “ If you want to know the Father’s will and thought in heaven, you have all the information right here for I have told you everything.” We can conclude our search and say, “God be praised. I know everything God wants and has at heart. He has concealed nothing from me.” If you want to be certain what the God in heaven thinks of you, do not retire into some nook and brood about or seek it in your works. Banish all these thoughts from your heart. Give ear solely to the words of this Christ for everything is revealed in him. He tell us, “I was sent to you by my Father that I might shed my blood and die for you. I ask you to believe this. Here you have all that I have heard and know from the Father. He has no other plan or intention toward you than to save you if you have Christ and faith. From this you will see how much I love you and what friendship, glory, joy, consolation and assurance you have from me. You cannot attain this any where else, either in heaven or on earth.”
Jesus is the bread of life. He feeds hungry people with his loving presence and words. I pray God’s blessings on your life as together we feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ! See you at worship this weekend! P. Dave
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