Devotion:
Read John 6:35, 48-51.
In the Republic of Georgia, bread (puri) is traditionally baked by slapping the dough onto the hot walls of clay ovens. The bread rises, bakes until a golden crust is formed, and is removed with a wooden paddle. As I complimented the delicious bread at dinner and reached for another piece, my Georgian host remarked, “A culture is known by its bread,” and a great conversation ensued. Bread is the common element in meals around the world, even as it often reflects something unique about the region and culture in which it is enjoyed...from hot dinner rolls to cornbread, from pita to challah, and from tortillas to naan. To eat with others is to “break bread” together.
We begin this week of Jesus’ “I am” sayings in the Gospel of John with “I am the bread of life.” Food, represented by bread, is one of the absolute essentials of life. Without the right bread (food), our bodies will not be healthy, and without any food, we cannot survive. Jesus had fed the five thousand the previous day, and the apostles’ minds were filled with that miracle. In that context, Jesus tells them and us that he is the essential element of life. Unlike earthly bread, Jesus fills us completely; and if we accept this living bread of life, we have the promise of eternal life!
Personal Worship Option:
Give thanks today for your food that nourishes and strengthens your body. Give thanks for the gift of God’s Son, who came in love to fill us spiritually with bread that saves us. The best definition of evangelism is “one beggar telling another where to find bread.” Pray for the chance today to share this precious bread of life.
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