What does Jesus mean when he says, "I am the bread of life?" What does he mean when he says "Whoever comes to me will never be hungry...... or thirsty?" Physically, the human body does both hunger and thirst. We can't exist without food and drink. How many times have I said after eating a big lunch, "Well, I won't need supper tonight," only to, in fact, be hungry again that evening? Since eating and drinking are necessary for human life to exist, it seems to me that we all have a moral obligation to help feed one another throughout the world. The ELCA World Hunger program seeks to do that, addressing both root causes of hunger and providing relief to immediate needs.
When Jesus says, "I am the bread of life," he's getting at another type of hunger within us, a hunger for God. This is a hunger for meaning. Why am I hear? What is my purpose? How can I get through the challenges of this day? "I am the bread of life," says Jesus. And then on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus gives this bread to his disciples, and to us, saying, "Take and eat, this is my body." And then the cup, "Take and drink, this is my blood." This is the bread of life that feeds the deeper hunger for God. This is the bread of life that gives us hope to carry on in the challenges of the day. We need the physical bread our bodies require. But we also need the spiritual bread that feeds our souls and brings meaning to life.
As Bishop Hazelwood says,"Jesus is the ultimate satisfier of our hunger...in the thick of things." I don't know how anyone gets through the challenges of life without Him.
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