Thoughts for the Day

Then Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'

They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'

Then Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The "I am" statements appear in St John's Gospel. They are seven statements that Jesus makes about himself. Here he says, "I am the bread of life". We can live for some time on bread and water, and Jesus uses the metaphor of bread as something that the people of Israel must have.

It's hard for us to realise how important daily bread was 2,000 years ago, since we can buy bread at any time. Bread was a part of the staple diet of everyone, and it was a daily chore for the housewife, or her daughters or servants, to bake bread. Jesus says that just as bread is essential for life, so is he essential for life!

Perhaps we might find it easier to think of the last reference he makes: 'whoever believes in me will never be thirsty'. As a society we have taken to carrying bottles of water to keep ourselves hydrated. Imagine never having to be thirsty again! Jesus says we will never be spiritually thirsty again when we believe in him, for he offers eternal life.

Lord Jesus,
we can hardly understand
what it means never to be hungry
or thirsty again.
We can hardly understand
that You offer us real life
when we turn to You.
But give us the confidence
to come to You,
and to trust in Your words,
Amen.