Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry.”
Now I could quibble and say that elsewhere Jesus said that a person does not live by bread alone – but since Jesus is, also, the very Word of God, I think he has that covered.
So what does it mean for him to say, “Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”?
Surely it cannot mean that I don’t need my electricity back on after all!
It doesn’t mean that I’m wrong to long for the love of another human being, or even a cat; no, because Jesus is all about loving one another.
How does this verse sound to a child in Gaza, months into a humanitarian crisis, a war-mongered famine? Or to her parents, at their wits end on how to feed her?
Jesus said, “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. … Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” And yet everyone who heard him has since died, and we will too, one day.
So what does Jesus mean in saying that he is the living, breathing, satisfying, undying bread, that we who come to him will want for nothing more, forever?
In the earliest days of the church, when Jesus’ disciples came together, everyone shared what they had and no one was in need of anything (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34). No one was in need of anything. They had given their all to following Jesus. They had trusted him to death and beyond, and now they continued to trust in the way of Jesus, in the way of love, in the way of life. And no one wanted for anything.
What Jesus is talking about is the kingdom of heaven, the way in which we would live if we truly trusted in God, in the promises of providence, instead of walking in our fallen ways, our human, humble, stumbling ways.
This past week, I saw online a post meant for those whose food stamp food had perished in the storm, about how to get a replacement. This post was meant for those most in need, who couldn’t afford food to begin with, let alone to buy it twice. It was meant to help. But the post, unfortunately, was followed by the meanest comments, from those who said, “If I can’t have it, why should they?”, but in less kind terms. Instead of working out how we can help one another, those comments turned away from love of neighbour and into miserliness. It was as though the boy with the five loaves and two fish had refused to share them with Jesus, and scuppered the miracle that fed the multitude. But if we trust Jesus, he can do more with our little than we can ask or imagine.
Every time I saw someone post online that their power had come back on, I had to practice being grateful for their good fortune. It helped me to remember that every crew that finished working on someone else’s problem was a fraction of a step closer to fixing mine; it shouldn’t take a selfish motive to be grateful for someone else’s relief, but sometimes it helps.
If we all were able to lean into the way of love, the way of life, the way of Jesus, perhaps we would find that we could all eat our fill, and no one would be in need.
If we were able to lean into the way of love, the way of Jesus, the way of life, then perhaps we would find ourselves so full of life that we could want for nothing. Perhaps.
At the last day, Jesus says, all will be revealed and restored and raised up. At the last day, we will know that abundant life and bread and have our fill of love, when the kingdom comes.
In the meantime, what does it mean for us, that Jesus is the bread of life? That whoever believes in him, trusts in him, leans into him will not go hungry?
I think, in part, it means that if we have an appetite for justice, we will find ways of feeding it, through the way of love, the way of the cross, the paths of the prophets. I had a conversation earlier this week about the prophets as political animals: they were not politicians – far from it. None of them sat in nor sought the seats of power. But they were interested, and involved, and influential in the political landscape around them. They argued for the poor and condemned the corrupt and whispered God’s truth into the ears of kings and their consorts. They had an appetite for justice, and they found ways to feed it.
If we have an appetite for mercy, we will find ways to satisfy that. Acts of kindness, acts of humility, acts of selflessness, acts of gratitude, all feed that appetite for mercy. We find that when we show, demonstrate, make evident mercy to another, we find our souls sing out in response. We love kindness, as Micah prophesied.
If we are hungry for love, we know that God loves us, no exceptions. We know that Jesus has room for us, time for us, walks with us.
I know that it is hard sometimes, many times. That we still hunger, thirst, even die. But Jesus tells us, believe in me, trust in me, stay with me, for I will not let you down. And he never has, not yet. He is the bread of life, and he still feeds me. He is living water, and he refreshes me. He is living bread, and he has saved my life more times than I can reckon.
Believe in him. Trust him. Stay with him, for he is the bread, and the Word, and the way, and the truth, and he is life.
Amen.
over the water 