WHAT
KIND OF BREAD DO WE SEEK?
“Man
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes form the mouth of
God” Matthew
The crowd that followed Jesus was hoping
that He would once again provide them with bread. After all, just the previous day Jesus
had fed them and it hadn’t cost them a denari and
today was another day. When they
found Him, they stressed that Moses had provided their forefathers with bread
for forty years. Surely Jesus could
do likewise and thereby prove that He was the One foretold by Moses
(Deuteronomy
We
need to reflect on the significance of bread in Biblical times. In Western cultures, bread is often
optional, but it is was an essential staple then. In those times, it was made from a
variety of grains and often mixed with lentils or beans. It was often a meal in itself. We may lament that the crowd did not
understand His message and demanded food for their physical well being rather
than nourishment for their souls.
Their decision might prompt us to consider what we would have done if we
were a member of their group. Most
of us would declare that we would opt for spiritual nourishment, do our
daily prayers truly reflect this decision?
Although most likely our petitions are not concerned with requesting
“bread”, but do our prayers request spiritual food or do we ask Him to provide
for our physical desires?