sharing bread

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Part of my Sabbath routine is making a loaf of bread. There is something so satisfying and therapeutic in taking ordinary ingredients and with a little time, watching them transform into something both life-sustaining and delicious.

Bread has been a standard for life for a long time. For basic survival needs, even from the harshest captors, bread has been the provided source of nourishment. Bread is simple and satisfies hunger.

Just before Jesus tells His disciples that He is the bread of life, He has physically fed thousands of people who had gathered from a single portion. These people were here because they had heard of the miracles He was doing, and they wanted to see for themselves. They had a physical hunger that was satisfied, and they went away understanding they had a deeper hunger.

I can’t help but notice the compassionate way that Jesus meets the physical needs of the people, even though He has the answer to their greatest need. They are able to understand more about WHO He is after they experience HOW He cares about their basic needs.

When Jesus says He is the bread of life, He is acknowledging His ability to satisfy a hunger much greater than the physical. Our spiritual hunger is a deep need to know the One we were created for and to trust Him completely.

Once we taste of His goodness, we will never hunger again. When we trust Jesus with our life, we can have the confidence that He is always at work.

As we seek to share the bread of life to those around us, how are we first meeting those basic needs they may have? What is one way you can provide both “bread” and share the bread of life with someone today?