Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“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.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, August 25, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
One of the things I love most about Jesus is that he was consistently pointing away from himself and pointing toward God. Even as the crowds came to see him, asking for him to provide them with the bread of life that would nourish them forever, Jesus acknowledged that he was not the giver of the bread, any more than Moses was the giver of manna. It was God who provided the manna for the people Moses was entrusted to care for. It was God who provided Jesus, the bread, who would be nourishment for the people—nourishing their hungry spirits and weary souls with his words and actions.
We can never be a great prophet like Moses or divine like Jesus. But we can be deliverers of nourishment that God is eager to provide to whomever we encounter. We can feed hungry people with real food. We can also feed weary souls with kindness, compassion, understanding, support, and love. Imagine what this world might look like if we all strove to be providers of bread for a hungry world!
How can I provide bread for the people around me today?