Readings for Pentecost 10

1 Kings 19:1-8

Ephesians 4:17-5:2

John 6:35-51

Passage for Meditation:   I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51  

Devotion:  There is much ado about bread!  In the past two weeks, Jesus had fed the 5,000,  we heard how God provided manna to the Israelites through their desert wonderings and this week we see the Lord providing bread and water for Elijah and hear Jesus’ speaking of himself as “living bread”

The Lord always provides for his people.  And His provision is more than some out there spiritual wishy- washy-ness.  It is rooted in the concrete reality of flesh and blood for flesh and blood.  The bread that he gives is real bread, the drink that he gives is real drink.  He provides for the real flesh and blood creatures of his creation with his real flesh and blood given and shed for his creation.

Those who take the bread of life- eat it with their mouth and who believe in their heart that Jesus word’s are true, receive His provision.  He is the bread of life that feeds both body and soul. Food for the stomach and forgiveness for the soul.  And yet the two are intimately connected!  When he says that we eat his body, he promises that the sin in the flesh is forgiven, even so that the body and soul will be raised from the dead, never to die the second death.  Jesus is the bread of life.  And only Jesus is able to provide real food that endures beyond the grave!