Monday, October 02, 2006

Contemplation #193
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35

When we respond to God’s call to come into the blessing that is offered in His Son, Jesus himself becomes our source of all spiritual nourishment. Jesus is not only the bread of a heavenly life which we will experience beyond our existence here and now, but he becomes the basic food of life as we now live it. Bread is a symbol of the staple of existence. It is the daily food that sustains. Christ has become to the believer the sole means of living. Without Christ life is not possible. We choose to reject all other sources and be devoted to the One who is our spiritual food.

Contemplation #194
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35

This simple and yet powerful statement of Jesus makes clear that the life of God will only be received and sustained through the Son who has descended from God to bring close this blessing. In our affection, our desire, and the deepest part of our hearts, we must seek Christ. He must be received daily. There is only one source for us: the person of Christ who showed us God in human form. The gift and the Giver are intertwined. The gift of life cannot come without receiving the Giver completely and continually through humble confession of our dependence and need. We do pray “Give us this day our daily bread” with our desire for Christ being the greatest meaning we can give to these words.

Contemplation #195
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35

How do we receive Jesus as the bread of our daily life? We have all received Jesus as Savior in repentance from all other ways of living and a confession of faith, but how is Jesus to be received daily? The answer is that Christ comes to us in many different ways. Because creation was made by him and through him, and he is the One who fills everything in every way, Christ can be found in every aspect of life and received as the Bread of Life. But he is not automatically received this way, for it is very easy for us to neglect Christ in all things. Our desire daily must be for Jesus, our willingness to receive him and him alone.