6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
– John 6:27-40 NIV
Dear friends, greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus on this fourth Sunday in the season of Lent. Today we are confronted with one of the claims Jesus made about Himself, one of the seven “I Am” sayings found in John’s Gospel. It’s the claim to be the “Bread of Life.” It’s the claim to be the One in whom all sustenance that matters is found.
Just as bread gives us nourishment, provides us with the strength we need to stay alive, so it is with Jesus. Jesus nourishes us. Jesus sustains us. He strengthens us and keeps us alive.
In the same way, just as bread is a staple to our physical diet — it is basic, it is principal, it is standard to our wellbeing — so it is with Christ. He is basic. He is principal. He is standard to the spiritual diet we must have if we are to live.
In Jesus, we are fed, the Bible says. We grow. We develop. We become strong in our faith. Apart from Jesus, we fail to grow. We never develop. And our faith, most often, withers away.
One of the tragedies in our culture today, in spite of the fact that many people are seeking a life that is spiritual, wanting to find answers to the things in life that count, the life they are seeking and the answers they are hoping to find have little to do with Jesus and, as a result, do not provide spiritual sustenance that lasts.
It’s like what happens at one of those all-you-can-eat buffets. You walk down the line and pick and choose whatever appeals to you at the time. If you’re in the mood for salad, then you fill your plate with salad. If you’re hungry for pasta, there are usually more choices than you could fit on your plate.
People do it all the time when it comes to those buffets. Sadly, they also do it when it comes to religion. They pick and they choose what they like. They grab onto whatever appeals at the time. A little bit of this, combined with a little bit of that. Some good moral standards, combined with a good philosophical approach; add a little New Age, alongside of a bit of Eastern religion and thought.
Next thing you know, your spiritual plate is filled, but there’s nothing on it that is connected to Christ. And because there’s nothing connected to Christ, no matter how much spirituality you eat, you will never be filled, and you will always be longing for more.
During these last few weeks of this Lenten season, let us commit ourselves to being fed with a food that will last. His name is Jesus. He is basic to our diet. He gives us the spiritual strength and sustenance we need. In Him we grow. In Him we develop. In Him we become strong in our faith. He is the “Bread of Life.” He fills us up. Whoever comes to Him will not hunger ever again.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the sustenance You give and for providing and being the true bread we need. Help us, through Your Holy Spirit, to feed on You and to grow in our faith, that in You and through You, we might be strengthened to live in ways that glorify God. We pray this in the name of the One who gave all He had and all He was for us. Amen.
Devotion written by the Rev. Dr. Daniel W. Selbo
Morning Psalms
Evening Psalms
This daily prayer and Bible reading guide, Devoted to Prayer (based on Acts 2:42), was conceived and prepared by the Rev. Andrew S. Ames Fuller, director of communications for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). After a challenging year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been provided with a unique opportunity to revitalize the ancient practice of daily prayer and Scripture reading in our homes. While the Reading the Word of God three-year lectionary provided a much-needed and refreshing calendar for our congregations to engage in Scripture reading, this calendar includes a missing component of daily devotion: prayer. This guide is to provide the average layperson and pastor with the simple tools for sorting through the busyness of their lives and reclaiming an act of daily discipleship with their Lord. The daily readings follow the Lutheran Book of Worship two-year daily lectionary, which reflect the church calendar closely. The commemorations are adapted from Philip H. Pfatteicher’s New Book of Festivals and Commemorations, a proposed common calendar of the saints that builds from the Lutheran Book of Worship, but includes saints from many of those churches in ecumenical conversation with the NALC. The introductory portion is adapted from Christ Church (Plano)’s Pray Daily. Our hope is that this calendar and guide will provide new life for congregations learning and re-learning to pray in the midst of a difficult and changing world.