Relevant bread

Ruth Kennedy February 24, 2024 3 5

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Luke 4: 4

4 Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone.”’

The keto diet, the 5:2 diet, the Mediterranean diet, and intermittent fasting. SO many programmes to help us with a healthy approach to nutrition. I’ve never been one for cutting out a food type, not even cakes, I much prefer a good balance of what is good for me. Even when I was preparing for a DIY fundraising marathon at the end of lockdown I could not face the jargoned ‘carb loading’ for the week leading up to it. This is where you eat more carbohydrates like pasta and rice than other types of food intending to give your body plenty in the energy stores. I just wanted to keep things in moderation so adopted a nutrition plan which encouraged that. Seems mighty sensible looking back on it, not sure I would be that sensible now!

But I find it enormously difficult to read about nutrition plans and restrictive diets when we have so much food poverty, so many desperate souls going hungry. In April 2023 World Vision stated nearly 45 million people in 37 countries are at risk of starvation. Action Against Hunger presents it as 1 in 10 people around the world. It is just wrong.

Jesus took time to feed the hungry. Spiritually and physically.

His words today remind us that we need to care for and nourish our souls, our relationship with Him but that is not to the exclusivity of our physical needs. Jesus did not deny that we need bread to eat! We do and everyone does. The Bible is as relevant today as it was when it was lived out, spoken, and recorded because these scriptures are still helpful in our everyday life.

People need food to live. We are to continue to be involved in working to end this injustice and bring about an end to this lack of basic human need. Physically and spiritually. When we read the Bible it can stir up our passions for this world and our response to this stirring is to action God’s intervention: spiritually and practically. It might be food and hunger like today's reading and there will be other stirrings as we read the scriptures, so keep reading!

Be bold and courageous! Leap into Scripture, let God's word stir up a passion for His name in you and a passion to love the world the way He actively does.

Prayer:

Holy, Living God,

You are the source of life and the giver of life.

Jesus, you are the bread of life and the sustainer of life.

Holy Spirit, you are the breath of life and the power of life.

We are satisfied, our cups run over with joy in your presence.

Many are hungry Lord. Many have no bread of life and no bread to live. Come and be their giver. Sustain them and meet their needs. Feed them so they hunger no more.

Bless all who are working to end hunger; bless the food givers and the evangelists sharing the gospel.

Holy, Living God.

Disrupt my reading of your word so I am consumed with a passion for you and overwhelmed with compassion for this world.

Lord Jesus, in you we live and move and have our being and pray, Amen.