I usually don’t like my bread when it’s alive. I have a bad habit of buying a baguette and leaving it on my kitchen counter for too long. I always plan to eat it quickly but that plan rarely comes through. After a few days, the baguette evolves and comes alive. Mold forms, usually in a place I can’t see at first. When I finally pick it up, I see the mold and toss the bread into the garbage. I swear I’ll eat the bread sooner next time. We’ll see if I ever listen to my own advice.
In today’s reading from the Gospel according to John 6:41-51, Jesus is “the bread from heaven” and “the living bread” at the same time. As Lutheran Christians who share communion every week, the words “bread from heaven” are understandable. Every Sunday, we gather in Jesus’ name and wait to be served at His table. He comes to us through words, songs, bread and drink. We eat his body, and we are physically (and spiritually) fed by him. We will never be able to fully understand the mystery that is holy communion, but we know that when we eat Jesus, we are connecting with a savior who gives everything to us. His life, death and resurrection showed that God will go through anything so that God can love and serve us. God has (and will) feed us spiritually and physically. But have you ever held the piece of bread at communion and think it’s alive?
By calling himself the living bread, Jesus reminds us that he is with us right now. Jesus isn’t only important to us in our past or in our future. He is with us in this moment. There is no moment in our lives when Jesus doesn’t care about us. And there is no point in time where he isn’t with us. He invites us to live a life responding to his presence, mercy and love. God has, and will, give everything to God’s people and God’s world. The question is whether we will do the same?
Each week, I write a reflection on one of our scripture readings for the week. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship Bulletin for 12th Sunday after Pentecost, 8/12/2018.