Got bread?

In many places of the world, bread is still referred to as "the staff of life." It's so basic, not to mention affordable in areas where pizza and burgers are not (even if they get delivery). No wonder Jesus chose bread as a symbol for the offering of His body on the cross for life of the world.

Jesus made the unequivocal promise, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (John 6:35) Though He was speaking to people in a largely subsistence economy, where poverty and physical hunger was common, Jesus promised an end to hunger of the soul; an end to thirst for true life of the inner man. Hunger of an empty stomach is still a common problem in our world, but soul-hunger is far more common, and far worse in its consequences.

If one can make "food" comparisons, you could say that many try to survive on other things than the "true bread" of Christ for their souls. And it's not a new phenomenon, as God said through Isaiah the prophet, "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance." (Isaiah 55:2)

Instead of real bread, many try to get by on "junk food" for their souls, just as many do for their physical nutrition. No matter how many nutritionists warn about the dangers of overdoing it on cheeseburgers and fries, the drive-through line continues to back up at most fast food places. And no matter how many people experience the soul-starving effects of living as though the human soul could survive on fun, entertainment, money and pleasure, the only thing slowing the consumption of such things has been a slumping economy, rather than a response to God's invitation to "eat what is good."

Without the Bread of life, people are starving their souls, both in the sense of dying in spiritual isolation from the true Life that is Jesus Christ, and in the sense of many people who, while being born-again believers, are nonetheless getting by on a meager diet of the living Word of life, rather than being hungry for "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." No wonder the Church is so close to the rest of society in the statistics of personal problems, addictions, family disruptions, etc. You can't build a strong soul on a diet that consists mostly of spiritual junk food anymore than a strong, healthy body is built on a steady diet of Pizza Hut.

The Bread of life is freely available to all who will "delight themselves in abundance." Bon appetit!