Living WordSample

BREAD - It’s common to crave bread when you’re hungry, or enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread as you walk past a bakery. In so many parts of the world, bread is a staple part of the diet. Jesus seized upon that image and its place in Israel’s history as an analogy of the centrality of his life and death for our sustenance. When tempted in the wilderness, he guarded his heart and redeemed Israel’s failure as he chose obedience to God instead of immediate gratification. Reciting the record of Deuteronomy he declared, “man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. In this statement, Jesus has taken our natural dependence on daily bread and equated it with our spiritual dependence on God’s word. A friend of mine frequently practiced the principle of “no Bible, no breakfast”.  We can be sure that Jesus was saturated in the Jewish scriptures from the earliest age. Luke 2:46-47 says that those who observed him as a boy in discussion with the teachers at the Temple were amazed at his answers and understanding. Jesus seemed disinterested in the world of the scribe but was more motivated by what brought freedom and life to others, doing what he saw his Father doing.

What do you consider so important that it is a daily practise?