A few years ago, I kept having the same vision for days and sometimes, many times a day. I kept on seeing a loaf of bread hanging in the air and hands of different colours (races) were helping themselves taking pieces of it. The strangest thing is that I knew I was the loaf. A few weeks later, the Lord used John 6 to explain part of the vision to me.
Jn 6:24ff, “…When the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves also entered into the boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. 25 And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, Rabbi, when did you come here? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, You seek Me not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate the loaves and were filled… 30 Therefore they said to Him, What sign do you show then, so that we may see and believe you? What do you work? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert, as it is written, "He gave them bread from Heaven to eat." 32 Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses did not give you that bread from Heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. 34 Then they said to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you also have seen Me and do not believe…48 I am the Bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and died. 50 This is the Bread which comes down from Heaven, so that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he shall live forever. And truly the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world… 57As the living Father has sent Me, and I live through the Father, so he who partakes of Me, even he shall live by Me. 58 This is the Bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna, and died; he who partakes of this Bread shall live forever. »
All this took place right after Jesus had multiplied 5 barley loaves and 2 fish to feed 5000 men (without counting women and children) and it is a very good illustration of the versatility of human nature. Indeed, after witnessing such an event, they still had the guts to ask Him about the signs He performed that they could see and believe!!! Incredible! But Jesus was no fool: He knew that they really didn’t care much about the miracles and were only looking for Him because they ate the loaves and were filled. In other words, they only wanted their hunger to be appeased.
This tells us that people are hungry. Many of those who come to church do not come for the miracle of the transforming and regenerating Word of God; they don’t come to see resurrections, healings etc, –even though they are happy to enjoy them from time to time- they come in hope to satisfy their hunger for marriage, employment, housing, children…
After feeding the crowd, there were 12 baskets of leftovers: 12 like the 12 apostles who could each represent a basket. The Bible tells us that as He is, so also are we in this world (1Jn 4.17)… and I would say, so are we called to be. As He is the Bread of life, so are we ‘breads’ of life: our lives must be broken and shared for the sake and salvation of the multitudes.
Heb 10:5-7, "When Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"
He is the bread of God who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. And He came down not to do His will, but to do the will of the One who sent Him. We also came down from Heaven to do God’s will and give life around us: that’s the reason why He prepared and formed a body for us. Let us allow ourselves to be eaten!
Let’s die that souls may be saved. Let’s die to give life. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it will not bear much fruit. Paul told the Corinthians: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed… So death is at work in us, but life in you." (2Cor 4:8,11) We then need to ‘die’ and accept to be eaten. This has nothing to do with physical death -the bread we have to offer is spiritual- but it’s rather a life that inspires others and serves as a model. We have to use our gifts and talents to satiate the hunger and give life to people around us.
We are loaves of bread that came down from Heaven to give life to the world and save souls. If we eat of the Lord’s flesh as He encourages us to do; if we daily feed on this Bread, then, just as the same sap flows in the Vine and the branches, His life will infuse ours to the point that those who imitate us, eat us and live of our life will not fail to resemble Him and live of His life as well.
Jesus incarnation helps us understand God’s mind for man. By imitating the Christ and living of His life, we show forth the "perfect man". As He is, so are we in this world: He is the Light that enlightens everyone and we are also called the light of the world. He is the Prince of Peace and as His children we are dispensers of peace (Mat 5:14, 9). He is the Christ, i.e. the Anointed One; and we have received the anointing that teaches us everything (1Jn 2:20, 27). Thus, He is the Bread of Life and we are ‘breads’ of life.
Funny enough, Jesus gave this teaching after multiplying a few loaves of bread to feed the crowd. Even today, there is still a hungry crowd in front of us and we are loaves that have been multiplied and now need to be broken and distributed for the salvation of many: ‘breads’ of life! And even today, the Lord is still asking us to feed them ourselves. The task might seem immense; but if we accept the challenge by faith, just as in the past, we will witness a miracle of multiplication.
I pray that our lives may be so Christ-like that they may be relished like a succulent meal. I pray that our lives reflect His to the point that people will want to ‘eat’ them… to live!
"I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
Have a ‘wonderblessed’ week in HIM who can do all things.
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