True Hunger and True Bread

John 6:53-58

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

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As we began reading John, we drew our attention to the theme verse in chapter 20 verse 31:

...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Each chapter of John's account adds another layer of meaning to this twofold thesis, answering the two most important questions a person can ever ask:

Who is Jesus?
Why does that matter in my real life?

And chapter 6 is no exception. Here we see Jesus comparing himself to the manna that appeared each day to feed the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. He even calls himself the Bread of Life which has come down from heaven. What does this mean? What does this tell us about Jesus and about ourselves?

Well, it is safe to say that Jesus is not made of bread, and therefore he was not expecting anyone to eat him, cannibal-style. The crowd asks about this, either out of mockery or just willful ignorance. The context includes several references to the manna of old, clearly showing that he was speaking symbolically. He did the same in chapter 3, concerning the serpent which was raised up for Israel's healing. Jesus is saying something profound about himself, not that he is today's special on the dinner menu.

So, if not cannibalism, then what does the bread metaphor mean for us? It might be easy to say that Jesus should satisfy our soul's deepest need and hunger. But what is that hunger and how do we obtain or ingest this promised bread-like satisfaction?

First, what is this hunger that defines our human condition? It manifests itself in many ways: lust for material trinkets, cravings for control in our lives, desire for success or to always be right, longings for relationships, hunger for comfort and ease. These hungers are sometimes rooted in good desires, but they quickly become inflated into ultimate desires.

In his book Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller describes how our hungers can become idolatry:

"What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give."

Each of us knows what that idol is, what it is we hunger for most. What do you daydream about? If you have plans cancel and 2 hours of unexpected free time, how do you spend it? Could you stand before the Savior who died for you and tell him that he is your treasure? Is he the bread you hunger for?

So, what if we admit that we don't hunger for him? What if we admit that he doesn't attract us or seem to satisfy us like he once did?

Perhaps we are double blind: blind to our hunger and blind to his fulfilling richness. How do we open our eyes to see this richness and savor it again?

A typical church answer might be bible-reading and prayer - this is how to take in this bread and find satisfaction - and there is some truth to that. But, what if we've tried that and still feel hungry? What if we keep trying to pray and our minds are either distracted or simply unable to imagine something lovely about Jesus? What if the Bible is just words on the page?

Jesus says to us, I am the Bread of Life. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life and be raised on the last day. Do we want that? Do I want to live forever? Do I daydream about heaven? Do I have vivid imaginings about finally seeing a bright new earth in 20/20 vision - no more glasses, no more fog!

Jesus links the satisfying nature of the bread to a promise of resurrection, and I think that is the key here. We are dead in sins and craving filth like the foolish prodigal son, while all the while our loving Father waits with a home, a family, a fattened calf, and a welcome party in our honor! His robe and his ring he will place on our undeserving bodies as we finally admit we are empty and hungry.

Admit it. You're hungry, you're weak, you're lost in the dark. And your greatest need can be met only in the One who shaped your heart and died to bring you to Himself. Accept it. Cherish it. And then you can learn each day how to eat new manna, just as the Israelites had to gather it day after day.

Look for it and you will find it. In His word, in the smile of a dear friend, in the gift of each breath.

And believe, for that is the work which he actually says to do in this very chapter (6:29), and everything hinges on it. Believe that heaven awaits and all you have to do is admit your brokenness and take what is offered. Believe in the holy God who became a simple man and entered into our messed up world. Be captivated by such love that went to such lengths for such ungrateful men. Believe it and pray that daily bread of forgiveness and a forgiving heart - to accept him and become more like him.

Believe it, and it's yours.