Wednesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 6:22-40 (NLT)

Jesus, the Bread of Life

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

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. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
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Morning Reflection:

“Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.”
– John 6:27

Our reading of John Chapter 6 continues – Jesus’ miraculous sign of feeding the five thousand has left the crowd with a hunger for more…. But more of what? More miracles, and the ability to perform miracles themselves. And when they ask Jesus what they can do to perform miracles, he responds –

“This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
– John 6:29

And that’s where they get hung up – they want the miracles, but not the man behind the miracles. They want daily bread, but not the Bread of Life offered by Jesus. They have seen him, and still they don’t believe in him. And Jesus’ declaration makes no sense to them –

“For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him
should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
– John 6:40

In summary: Believing in miracles won’t get you to heaven, but believing in the man behind the miracles will.

Questions for consideration:

• What are you seeking from Jesus – your daily bread, the bread of eternal life, or something else?
• What does believing in Jesus involve for you? Do you consider it work?

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: I believe in Jesus Christ – Son of God and Son of Man – whom you sent into the world to give us eternal life. Soften my heart; change my mind; and bend my will that, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within me, I may become more like him, and be raised with him on the last day – all to the glory of your name. Amen.
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“I Am The Bread of Life” – The University of Notre Dame Folk Choir

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen