Wholly Bread
Guest Speaker, Drew Williams
John 6: 1-14; 22-35
The Bread of Life Café in Liberty, Kentucky, known for its amazing homemade rolls and Southern-style cooking, began in an unusual way. Sandy and Jerry Tucker desperately wanted to start a family. Doctors didn’t give them good hope. Instead of remaining disappointed, they were called to open their home and hearts to children and young adults. And so, Galilean Ministries was born out of that love in 1969, adopting and caring for children and young adults of all ages, from all over the world, who were abused, neglected, rejected or in need of medical treatment. To provide the resources to support the needs of the children, Sandy began to sell her famous homemade rolls. Those rolls led eventually to the café, where some of those children—now adults—work. Galilean still houses over 30 individuals despite Sandy’s passing from cancer 20 years ago. Sandy’s simple rolls provided physical and emotional nourishment.
Christians around the globe today are breaking bread for World Communion Sunday (since Pastor David is away, you celebrated Communion last Sunday). Today’s scripture is appropriate as we reflect on the central element in this passage—bread. While the passage focuses on the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus’ message was more than physical nourishment. As we explore this passage, we find three messages that Jesus provides about bread, it: feeds the body, sustains the soul, and provides eternal sustenance. It provides a powerful reminder of the plentiful love and grace Jesus offers us as the Bread of Life and how we are made whole, called to embody His love and grace by becoming the bread for the world.
Of all of Jesus’ miracles accounted in the four Gospels, the miracle of the five thousand loaves is the only one mentioned in all four Gospels (other than the resurrection). The other accounts are in Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:31–44, and Luke 9:12–17. This is a significant story. Some scholars believe that it was more like 20,000 people fed (5,000 men plus their wives and children) from those five loaves and two fish obtained from a boy. So, you can imagine Philip’s and Andrew’s sarcastic reaction to Jesus’ request. First, Philip’s response, “I could work for more than half of a year and still not have the money to buy enough bread to give each person a very small piece.” Or, as the Revised Standard Revision translation states, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” In today’s U.S. currency equivalency, two hundred denarii are about $16,000. So, if we do the math, if a basic loaf of bread today costs about $2.50, 200 denarii would buy about 6,400 loaves of bread—about 5 slices per person as their entire lunch. We understand Andrew’s skepticism, saying “it is practically useless in feeding a crowd this large.” As you listened to and participated in today’s reading, could you get a sense of the skepticism the disciples had and the questions that hung over the crowd? Imagine if Don told his fellow Akron Lions Club members to take only five toasted cheeseburgers to their stand at the Ephrata Fair to feed the throngs of fairgoers!
Bread has been a key player in both the Old and New Testaments, both physically and metaphorically.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for bread, lechem (Le-hem), doubles as the word for food. Bread was the primary source of protein and carbs, consumed with every meal. If one was not eating bread daily, it was a sign of pain in life. Social expectations and religious practices had important connections to bread. When guests arrived at one’s home, immediately bread was provided (Genesis 14:18; Luke 11:5-6), as a sign of a trusting and peaceful relationship. The irony between Jesus offering Judas bread during the Last Supper and Judas’ betrayal is a significant point that is made in the Gospels. Another striking message Jesus made was when he baked bread while waiting for the disciples to return from fishing following his resurrection (John 21:9).
Various religious festivals and meals in both the Old and New Testaments incorporate bread. In the Christian tradition, bread is foremost known for communion. As Christians begin this week with World Communion, bread will also find its place on our Jewish siblings’ tables as the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin. During these days, challah bread will be served for meals. But, instead of the typical long loaf, a round loaf will be used, symbolizing and actualizing a wish for a year in which life and blessings continue without end. Bread is the one common element across all faith traditions, symbolizing life and connectedness.
Throughout scripture, including this passage of John, we see the rhetorical role bread plays in providing us with a more poignant lesson. In Exodus 16:4 we find, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you.” – soliciting trust and teaching them that “man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) – which Jesus quoted when Satan tempted him to provide bread in Matthew 4:4. Bread is also used as a metaphorical way. With bread on the table, as a staple food, we find “Bread of….” To speak to qualities or conditions that were part of a person’s current situation: Bread of Tears (Psalm 80:5), Bread of Wickedness (Proverbs 4:17), Bread of Adversity (Isaiah 30:20), and Bread of Sincerity and Truth (I Corinthians 5:8). And of course, we even find it in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:11) that we recited earlier: “Give us today our daily bread” as a metaphor asking for God’s assistance for providing all the basics needed for living. Then, in today’s passage, Jesus likens himself to bread: “Bread of Life” (John 6:35).
In the second part of today’s reading—verses 22 thru 35—we learn the call-to-action Jesus had for those five thousand AND for us today.
After the previous day’s meal, the crowd returns, not to find Jesus, but on the other side of the sea. He rebukes them for their spiritual shortsightedness, seeing him as some magical baker who keeps the bread coming instead of the lessons it provided. They were focused on having their physical needs met that they were blinded by the lesson being taught. How often do we see Jesus as only the magical baker to meet our tangible needs?
In these verses, Jesus makes three points.
First, Bread of Life: In John 6:35, Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Jesus is not just talking about physical hunger but also spiritual hunger. Yes, when we encounter someone who is hurting, we must first attend to their physical needs before attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. As followers of Christ, we are called to share this Bread of Life with others by being His hands and feet in the world. Returning to the story of Bread of Life Café, Sandy Tucker said, “I don’t think God gave me time to think about it. We took every child God sent us – one person’s pain is another person’s joy. I just get joy out of it! A unique place within Galilean House is the Angel House, part of the Born Free Ministry. This is where infants and toddlers are cared for while their mother is in prison. Sandy and Jerry lived this message, ensuring that all God’s children are beloved and loved.
Second, Nourishing Others: Just as Jesus fed the five thousand, we are called to nourish others physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We can offer a kind word, a helping hand, or a listening ear to those in need. By showing compassion and love, we can be the bread that sustains and nourishes those around us. In nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 2023, the West Side Moravian Church converted their parsonage into Essential Cafe, a place that nourishes in multiple ways. It is a pay-what-you-can eatery, a growing trend in the U.S., part of the One World Everybody Eats network to combat food insecurity that affects 800 million people globally, including 17 million households in every county in America. Essentials Café allows people to eat with dignity while forming strong bonds that foster an interconnected community. That congregation met a greater need than housing its pastor by living out its mission to be in ministry to those in the community.
Third, Multiplying Grace: In the feeding of the five thousand, the small provision of five loaves and two fish multiplied to feed a multitude. Even bread was left over—12 baskets (12, another symbolic number)! According to Jesus, food that perishes is food that merely fills you up – empty carbs, if you will – not that which sustains you for eternal work. He says in verse 33, “For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” As followers of Christ, our acts of kindness and generosity can also multiply and impact many lives. So much so, that there is abundance. When we share our resources, time, and talents with others, we spread God's grace and extend His kingdom on earth and for eternal life. This is best put by the lyrics from Let Us Be Bread: “Let us be bread, blessed by the Lord, broken and shared, life for the world. Let us be wine, love freely poured. Let us be one in the Lord.”
The crowd that returned to see Jesus the next day are not the only ones with questions. Observing the widespread and severe effects of the social disconnection on Americans’ health due to skepticism, distrust, and fear, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, has declared loneliness and isolation an epidemic that poses a profound threat to our health and well-being. What can we take from today's passage? Through these tensions and sense of going it alone, The good news is that we don’t have to worry about God running out of bread. God gave us abundant bread through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In turn, we are called to share that abundant love with the world. How is God calling you to be the bread of the world? When we give of ourselves, we are conduits of God's multiplying grace, mercy, and love.
Throughout the perils and threats to our physical and emotional well-being these days, we are reminded of the plentiful love and grace Jesus offers us as the Bread of Life and how we are made whole and called to embody His love, compassion, and mercy by becoming the bread for the world, seeking to nourish others, sharing God's grace, and multiplying God’s love in all that we do, shining His light in a world that is hungry for hope. Amen.