Living in the Spirit
August 11, 2018
Scripture Reading: John 6:35, 41-51
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.
Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. –John 6:35, 41-44
In the Jewish tradition referring to bread from heaven most likely would invoke memories of the manna from heaven provided to the Israelites after they fled from Egypt. While life was not perfect in first century Jerusalem, the people were not facing wholesale physical starvation their ancestors had from lack of food. Spiritual starvation was another matter. Under the thumb of Rome and their own religious leaders who were caught up in the politics of going along to get along, the people in Judea and Galilee were suffering from spiritual malnutrition. Broadening the vista, the peoples of the whole world were hungering for the Good News of God’s love. Abraham’s challenge to be a blessing to all nations* had yet to be fulfilled.
Jesus came in search of those willing to fulfill the call to nurture souls and to spread the love of God throughout the earth. We now call it the Body of Christ in the world today. None of us are called to do everything; all of us are called to do our thing as a part of that organism. Such work entails nurturing the members of that Body as well as sharing the love of God with all God’s children in our role of being a blessing.
Introducing change in any circumstance requires a level of single-minded intentionality the keeps individuals and groups focus on the ultimate outcome desired. The routines of life engulf us in distractions that limit our drive toward our vision. All who are drawn by the Father to this work must from time to time withdrawn unto a quiet place and regain our focus and our energy. Thus recharged, we continue toward the realization of God’s world lead by love.
Prayer: God grant me the balance of living that is necessary for me to fulfill my call. Amen.
*Genesis 22:18