August 11, 2024

Today's Reading: John 6:35-51

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25; 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:41)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

To be honest, it seems astonishing that the Jews in this reading would DARE to grumble about Jesus and His announcement that He is the Bread of Life. I mean, He is JESUS! And, honestly, they had previously heard about or experienced various miracles He had done. All this talk about bread came after Jesus fed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. In fact, the Jews were ready to make Jesus the King! So, where in the world do they now get the idea that they can grumble and complain that Jesus isn't who they think He should be? Oh. Wait. 

Jesus is teaching about Who He is and what He will do. He is the Bread of Life. He is the One Who will pay for the insatiable hunger that the Law demands. He is going to starve death and breathe life into the whole world. But that isn’t what the Jews are interested in. They want their immediate needs met. They want full bellies, and they want them now. How dare they? But wait..have I ever grumbled over something that was actually a Gift? Oof. 

We sinners are very short-sighted. We see the now, we see the immediate problem, we feel the pain, and we want a solution. Thanks be to God that His mercy is for the now and for the not yet. He cares about our pain and our immediate needs; He invites us to pray about them daily and promises to hear us. And yet, He is also the Bread that will cease all hunger. He will feed His people for eternity. In our pain, weakness, and, yes, even grumbling, we have a merciful and loving God Who gives us Himself. Jesus went to the cross to pay for our sins and rose on Easter, defeating all of our enemies. In the Divine Service, He gives us Himself - His Body and Blood - for our forgiveness, life, and salvation. When you (like me) feel the pain of your current moment, you get to look back to the cross and forward to the Lord’s Supper. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the One Who loves and cares for you now and for forever. 

 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Gracious Father, Your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Grant that Christ, the bread of life, may live in us and we in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

-Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Confessions play a vital role in the church—both centuries ago, and today. But, do they apply to the daily life of a layperson? Pastor Andy Wright offers a resounding “yes” in his book, Faithfully Formed. He quotes, summarizes, and synthesizes key teachings from the Confessions, revealing their relevance in the daily lives of ordinary people.