Manna vs. Bread

John 6:51-58

Bread, Bread, everywhere! I don’t know about you but I often get overwhelmed in the bread section of the grocery store.  There are so many different brands and so many different types of bread.  Then there are those fresh bakery breads, too.  And after I peruse the whole section, I usually just end up buying the same kind of bread I always buy.  It is usually the cheapest wheat sliced bread that I can find. 

Today we find ourselves reading about bread again.  Now we are invited to eat the bread.  This bread is not found in the local Safeway or Family Thrift.  It is not white or wheat.  It is not a croissant, a bagel, or ciabatta.  It is not spread with butter or peanut butter.  It is the bread of life that came down from heaven.

Last week we were drawn into relationship with Jesus and this week we are invited to eat and drink, to participate in the life giving power of Jesus.  To an outsider this may seem crazy, but to us on the inside we understand this to be part of our tradition.

This text reminds us of communion, eating and drinking, one of the sacraments of our church.  But, for a moment just imagine what kind of thoughts might go through an outsiders mind.  One of my professors in seminary used to say “imagine if an alien was dropped from outer space into our worship space, what would the alien think.”  What would an alien think if she entered into our worship space and heard this lesson about eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood and then witnessed us participating in the sacrament of holy communion?  I imagine the alien would be a bit confused, surprised, and filled with many questions about this faith practice.

How then would we explain the reason for eating and drinking to the alien?  The text explains some benefits of this eating and drinking.  Through eating and drinking we will have life in ourselves, we will have eternal life, we will be raised on the last day, we will abide in Jesus and he in us, we will live through Jesus, and we will live forever.  Those are some big results.  Results only Jesus can give.

Who are these benefits given for?  The text says “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  Jesus gives his life for the whole world.  His body and blood poured out for all.  Not just for us.  Not just for Lutherans.  Not just for Americans.  For everyone.  It is the same Greek word that is used in the familiar John 3:16.  For God so loved the whole world.  For the life of the entire cosmos Jesus gives his life.

Now, it would be easy to write this text off as completely being about communion, but remember we are in John chapter 6 and Jesus has not celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.  In fact, in the gospel of John we don’t even get that well known story.  In its place, the story that John brings us is of Jesus washing the disciples feet.  That is the story we hear on Maundy Thursday each year.

So, while I think we can read into this text and say that it is in some aspects related to our practice of communion, I think it is also saying something more.  Jesus is saying that he is the main course.  He is the meat and potatoes.  He is not the soup and salad appetizer.  He isn’t dessert either.  Jesus is telling us that he has something we want—the main course.  He invites us to participate in the hearty meal of himself, flesh and blood that will give us life eternal.

Manna, the bread-like substance, which the previous generation ate was only an appetizer.  It was not like the hearty main course that Jesus provides.  What things in our lives are just manna?  I think the biggest culprit here is stuff, those materialistic things that we think we need.  We, myself included, want the biggest and best toys.  We want new cars, new cell phones, new houses, new furniture, and designer brand clothes.  I think this becomes even more prevalent as children get ready to head back to school.  If they are not up on the latest fashions and newest school supplies they don’t feel like they fit in.  They may even get teased for being out of style.  The plain notebooks and folders often don’t cut it anymore, we need the more expensive supplies that reflect our favorite movie characters, sports teams, and hip music groups.  We can’t just buy the cheapest clothes, we want to shop at the Gap, the Buckle, and other designer stores.  Each day our society seems to care more and more about what we look like and the image that our stuff reflects to others.

            Manna is not the main course though.  It doesn’t feed our souls.  It only feeds our self-interest.  No, the appetizer of manna is not necessary.  God promises to give us everything we need.  In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “give us today our daily bread.”  In doing so we ask God to provide us with the things we need like food, shelter, clothing.  These basic necessities are daily bread.  The manna that we ask for through our materialistic wants is just that—a want. 

What we need is Jesus, the rest is just empty calories.  We need life giving bread.  We feast on the main course of Jesus through worship, prayer, study, and service.  We participate in this eating and drinking when can look past our wants and be thankful that our needs have been provided for.  We get the main course that Jesus offers through forgiveness and grace, which is freely given to each of us, because of the way in which Jesus gave his life for us.

            So, today receive Jesus.  The one who poured out his life for everyone.  The one who gave his flesh and blood for the life of the whole world.  The one who continues to feed us with himself, the life giving main course.  Eat, drink, and be filled with the sustaining bread of life.  Amen.