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Broken Bread

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

I learned early on that Jesus is the Bread of Life. But for along time, I didn’t experience the life He brings. Then I realized: life doesn’t come from hearing about the bread. Bread only nourishes when we eat it.

“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table.” ~A.W. Tozer

Jesus came close so that He could nourish our souls with Himself. But if we don’t engage with Him, we’ll miss the life He offers. Taste the Bread, beloved. Don’t just nibble on it. Feast. Until you become the very Bread you consume.

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

You and I are also supposed to become heaven’s bread. Jesus was meant to be the first bread of many loaves. Bread that multiplies as it’s given away.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ miracles that fed hungry crowds both centered around bread?

You may recall that Jesus fed a crowd of over 5000 with a few loaves of bread and two fish. When the disciples came to Jesus about the late hour and the people’s need for provisions, He responded with an impossible request.

“You give them something to eat.” Luke 9:13

I imagine you and I would have been as perplexed as they were.

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:13

But Jesus didn’t want them to buy food for the people. He wanted them to feed the hungry with what they already had in their midst.

 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

Jesus was pointing them to the cross, dear one.

And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Bread that is blessed, broken, and given away feeds and satisfies the hungry. Christ became the Bread to nourish our hungry souls. He invites us to follow His example.

Bread that is blessed, broken, and given away feeds and satisfies the hungry. #becometheBread Share on X

Taste the Bread, beloved. Consume it so you may become Bread. Then let Jesus bless it and break it, so that you may also give Bread.

Life and glory flow out through the breaking. We are blessed before we’re broken, but the breaking releases the blessing. Like Jesus, we must allow ourselves to be broken and given away. Every false idea we have of ourselves must shatter so we can become who we truly are. Only then will the Bread of Life multiply.

When Jesus fed the 5000, the disciples gave the bread away, and each returned with an overflowing basket. Kingdom giving never creates lack. It actually produces abundance. Do you want your basket full, beloved? Give away your bread.

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

There may be pain in the breaking, dear one. Even anguish. Just look at the cross.

But I have chosen to trust God with the breaking. I have seen Christ’s vision for His glorious church. Beautiful. Spotless. Without blemish. Alive with the glory of His might.

And I see hungry crowds in desperate need of Bread.

Jesus placed the very river of life that flows from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1-2) into our hearts through His breaking (John 7:38). I long to release that river. But it seems it will only flow out through the breaking and restoration of my heart.

So break it, Lord. Do what you must in me to set it flowing, to release your river of life from within me. Catch the wounded and broken in its flow; wash and heal them.

I trust you, Father. For with the breaking, there will be a mending. But I—and those you entrust to me—will be changed.

 

Broken and given away

Broken and Given Away

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

We spend a lot of time talking about the Bread of Life. But very few of us eat it. And we wonder at the absence of heaven’s life.

But life doesn’t come from hearing about the bread. Bread only nourishes when we partake.

“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table.”~ A.W. Tozer

Taste the Bread, beloved. Don’t just nibble on it. Feast. Until you become the very Bread you consume.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

You and I are also supposed to become heaven’s bread. Jesus came as the first Bread of many loaves. Bread that multiplies as it’s given away.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ miracles that fed hungry crowds both centered around bread?

You may recall that Jesus fed a crowd of over 5000 with a few loaves of bread and two fish.

When the disciples came to Jesus about the late hour and the people’s need for provisions, He responded with an impossible request.

“You give them something to eat.” Luke 9:13

 I imagine you and I would have been as perplexed as they were.

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:13

But Jesus didn’t want them to buy food for the people. He wanted them to feed the hungry with what they already had.

 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.  And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

Jesus was pointing them to the cross, dear one.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Bread that is blessed, broken, and given away feeds and satisfies the hungry. Christ became the Bread to nourish our hungry souls. He invites us to follow His example.

Taste the Bread, beloved. Consume it so you may become Bread. Then let Jesus bless it and break it, so that you may also be given away.

Life and glory flow out through the breaking. Jesus blesses us beforehand, but the breaking releases the blessing. Like Jesus, we must entrust ourselves to God’s hands, allowing ourselves to be broken and given away. Only then will the Bread of Life multiply.

And then it returns to us.

The disciples gave the bread away, and each returned with an overflowing basket. Do you want your basket full, beloved? Give away your bread.

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

There will be pain in the breaking, dear one. Even anguish. Just look at the cross.

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:13 NIV

I have seen Christ’s vision for His glorious church. Beautiful. Spotless. Without blemish. Alive.

And I see hungry crowds in desperate need of Bread.

Jesus placed the very river of life that flows from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1-2) into our hearts through His breaking (John 7:38). I long to release that river. But it seems it will only flow out through the breaking of my heart.

So break it, Lord. Do what you must in me to set it flowing, to release your river of life from within me. Catch the wounded and broken in its flow; wash and heal them.

I trust you, Father. For with the breaking, there will be a mending. But I—and those you entrust to me—will be changed.

I would not have chosen this path for myself. The path of suffering—of watching those precious to me suffer.

But Jesus didn’t choose His path either. He surrendered to it.

And His breaking resulted in glory.

Broken and given away

Broken Bread

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

We spend a lot of time talking about the Bread of Life. But very few of us eat it. And we wonder at the absence of heaven’s life.

But life doesn’t come from hearing about the bread. Bread only nourishes when we partake of it.

“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God’s children starving while actually seated at the Father’s table.” ~A.W. Tozer

Taste the Bread, beloved. Don’t just nibble on it. Feast. Until you become the very Bread you consume.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

You and I are also supposed to become heaven’s bread. Jesus was meant to be the first bread of many loaves. Bread that multiplies as it is given away.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ miracles that fed hungry crowds both centered around bread?

You may recall that Jesus fed a crowd of over 5000 with a few loaves of bread and two fish.

When the disciples came to Jesus about the late hour and the people’s need for provisions, He responded with an impossible request.

“You give them something to eat.” Luke 9:13

I imagine you and I would have been as perplexed as they were.

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:13

But Jesus didn’t want them to buy food for the people. He wanted them to feed the hungry with what they already had in their midst.

 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

Jesus was pointing them to the cross, dear one.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

Bread that is blessed, broken, and given away feeds and satisfies the hungry. Christ became the Bread to nourish our hungry souls. He invites us to follow His example.

Bread that is blessed, broken, and given away feeds and satisfies the hungry. #becometheBread Share on X

Taste the Bread, beloved. Consume it so you may become Bread. Then let Jesus bless it and break it, so that you may also give Bread.

Life and glory flow out through the breaking. We are blessed before we are broken, but the breaking releases the blessing. Like Jesus, we must allow ourselves to be broken and given away. Only then will the Bread of Life multiply.

And then it returns to us.

The disciples gave the bread away, and each returned with an overflowing basket. Do you want your basket full, beloved? Give away your bread.

Blessed. Broken. Given away. Multiplied.

There may be pain in the breaking, dear one. Even anguish. Just look at the cross.

But I have chosen the broken path. I have seen Christ’s vision for His glorious church. Beautiful. Spotless. Without blemish. Alive with the glory of His might.

And I see hungry crowds in desperate need of Bread.

Jesus placed the very river of life that flows from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1-2) into our hearts through His breaking (John 7:38). I long to release that river. But it seems it will only flow out through the breaking of my heart.

So break it, Lord. Do what you must in me to set it flowing, to release your river of life from within me. Catch the wounded and broken in its flow; wash and heal them.

I trust you, Father. For with the breaking, there will be a mending. But I—and those you entrust to me—will be changed.

I would not have chosen this path for myself. The path of suffering—of watching those precious to me suffer.

But Jesus didn’t choose His path either. He surrendered to it.

And His breaking resulted in glory.

A Little Salt, Please?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13

I’ve always been a little adventurous. So it didn’t surprise my parents when I decided to study abroad in the fall of my junior year.

I’m sure they had concerns, but they graciously gave me their blessing. And this country girl from a two-traffic-light town crossed the ocean to spend four months in Spain’s third largest city, studying at the University of Valencia.

I have to admit, it was one of the best times of my life before I met Jesus.

I completely loved immersing myself in another culture. And a whole new world opened up to me, one with public buses, taxis and trains. Before I left the continent, I had never used any kind of public transportation. 

I saved up some money to buy a Eur-rail pass, which allowed me to travel by train all throughout Europe. Almost every weekend my roommate and I—a Virginian who I met for the first time when I landed in Spain—boarded a train for a new destination. Sometimes we explored other Spanish towns, but sometimes our trips took us beyond Spain’s borders. One of my favorites landed me in Florence, Italy.

Those close to me know that other than Jesus, little excites me more than enjoying good food. Nothing beats an evening with family, good friends and a great meal.

I could hardly wait for my first taste of authentic Italian cuisine.

I remember sitting in the restaurant with my roommate and some friends of hers studying in Florence who had graciously allowed us to camp out on their floor during our brief stay in Italy. (Not glamorous, I know, but it beat the $15 hostals we usually stayed in.) We ordered our food, and the waitress brought out bread to munch on while we waited for our plates to arrive.

I was excited about the bread. I mean, who doesn’t love Italian bread? I broke off a piece from the warm loaf and popped it into my mouth with anticipation. My first Italian food on Italian soil!

Let’s just say, it was less than satisfying.

I was shocked. My friend and I looked at each other, wondering if the other was experiencing the same thing. We were. Whatever I was chewing didn’t taste like any bread I’d ever eaten. Actually, it didn’t taste like anything.

Our hosts saw our confusion and quickly explained. “They don’t use salt in the bread here.”

I had no idea how much salt brought out the flavor of a food. Without the salt, that bread was nothing special. It looked great and had a wonderful texture, but it had no appealing flavor. I was happy to leave it in the basket and look elsewhere for something a bit more satisfying to the taste buds.

Listen, dear one.

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13

Jesus has called you and I to preserve and season the earth with His Truth. I wonder if people are looking elsewhere for satisfaction because the bread we’re offering is missing the salt.

I speak from experience. I spent a good bit of my life trying to fit in. I wanted to be like everyone else. Somehow I actually believed blending into the world would make people see something good in me. Crazy, right? Trying to act like everyone else just made me ordinary. Bland. Nothing special. Easy to walk away from in search of something better. Bread without salt.

Then I met Jesus. He showed me who He saw in me, and I chose to believe Him.

I determined that I would live His way, by His Truth. I stopped just calling myself a Christian and decided to actually follow Jesus. I chose to live in His presence and spend time in His Word. I determined to embrace His values as my own; His instruction became my guide. I emerged a disciple instead of a church attendee.

And that changed everything.

Because people that used to pass right by my bland bread suddenly discovered something different that drew them to me. They didn’t recognize what it was at first, but I did. It was salt. They saw Jesus revealing Himself as His Word came alive in me.

You see, salt has another effect on people. It makes them thirst. And that thirst draws them to the Living Water.

Without the salt, beloved, you and I are just bland, unappetizing bread. We have no impact for Christ’s kingdom. We’re just ordinary, easily exchanged for a more satisfying alternative.

The hurting world doesn't need any more bland bread. It needs the incomparable Bread of Life.

Will you allow Jesus to make you different, dear one? Will you allow Him to season you with His salt?

It’s worth the risk, beloved. Ordinary is way over-rated.