"I am the bread of life," says Christ in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel. It's a remarkable statement. Jesus claims that he is the spiritual food which came down from heaven, sent by his Father. That he is true manna, "not such as your fathers ate and died, he who eats this bread will live forever."
He, Jesus, is the very food which endures for everlasting life, the fulfillment and embodiment of the Law represented by the 5 loaves of the miracle performed the day before.
He is the glory of God which passed by Moses, who was hidden by God in a cleft in the rock, and spoke through the unquenchable fire of the burning bush. He is now unveiled, present, incarnate, "and we beheld His glory, a glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." Glory that's given to us in sacrifice for our atonement on the Cross, "the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Bread which we receive by faith, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” And that's just it. Do we dare to believe, to put our humble, perhaps desperate and fearful faith in the Son of Man who came down from heaven that we might live. To put it another way. Do we labor for earthly food, for bread and power, or for the heavenly food which is the life of God himself?
Christ faced this temptation in the wilderness and answered Satan, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God." He said no to "all the kingdoms of the world and the glories therein," and went to the Cross, which became his throne. He invites us to do the same, "take up your cross," so that we, in him, will have life, divine life.
Of course you might want to choose bread and power instead, thus cunningly marking yourself with the number of the beast. Your call, good luck. But remember, it's all a Big Pharma congressional larf until you wake up and a demon's gnawing on your inner thigh.
God bless,
LSP
8 comments:
By taking on the Bread of Life, we are to emulate, to mirror and to love all - for in that way we may we be identified as his disciples because we love one another (meaning all men).
It's a tough goal. A slippery incline. We climb and then we see Congress and the Media and slide back a little.
Thank you for the beautiful sermonette, Pastor. And I appreciate the hyperlinks to a source I didn't know existed.
God Bless....
Amen.
Well said, and yes, he IS the bread of our spiritual lives.
LL, as Christ says, "If you love me you'll keep my commandments." And again, "Abide in my love."
Did Christ scorn the Pharisees? Of course he did, they were whitewashed sepulchres. That in mind, Congress doesn't get a pass.
Thanks, drjim, just a short reflection on a remarkable text.
DOS, we meet the glory of it at every Mass. Kyrie Eleison.
Mr. NFO, that's the truth.
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