I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’
So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;
for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.
Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ John 6:51-58
I know that every family and every culture has some meal that would be described as a 'real meal'. This is what it means to eat. Vegetarian, Vegan, Carnivore, Omnivore - all of us can conjure up the image of what a real meal for us. All of us know what it means to be fed, and although it might be different between family, culture and place, we all understand it instinctively. And food instinctively reminds us of family, clan and culture. Food brings us home, even when we are no where near our home, our people or our country. It's the meal that keeps us grounded and surrounded even when we are in far flung places.
Jesus calls himself the bread of life, the needed sustenance for a strong life of faith. He calls himself that ground, that meal which is real and essential to who we are and what we do. He is not referring to something ethereal and cosmic but to our real need to be fed and strengthened day by day. Without certain nutrients and certain foods, we fade and fail. With a regular diet of real meals we are sustained and we thrive. We are invited by God today to seek our that real fullness, that true real meal in Jesus -Jesus as home, nourishment and strength for today and the journey ahead.
Today I ask God to help me know what I need and fill my plate with the sustaining love of Jesus. May we find our place and the table and feast, so that our strength and compassion might be fuel and strength for others.
I know that every family and every culture has some meal that would be described as a 'real meal'. This is what it means to eat. Vegetarian, Vegan, Carnivore, Omnivore - all of us can conjure up the image of what a real meal for us. All of us know what it means to be fed, and although it might be different between family, culture and place, we all understand it instinctively. And food instinctively reminds us of family, clan and culture. Food brings us home, even when we are no where near our home, our people or our country. It's the meal that keeps us grounded and surrounded even when we are in far flung places.
Jesus calls himself the bread of life, the needed sustenance for a strong life of faith. He calls himself that ground, that meal which is real and essential to who we are and what we do. He is not referring to something ethereal and cosmic but to our real need to be fed and strengthened day by day. Without certain nutrients and certain foods, we fade and fail. With a regular diet of real meals we are sustained and we thrive. We are invited by God today to seek our that real fullness, that true real meal in Jesus -Jesus as home, nourishment and strength for today and the journey ahead.
Today I ask God to help me know what I need and fill my plate with the sustaining love of Jesus. May we find our place and the table and feast, so that our strength and compassion might be fuel and strength for others.
No comments:
Post a Comment