Proper 20 / Pentecost 18 / OT 25
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
... I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day....
-- Exodus 16:4
For Christians, this is a foundational story that illuminates several aspects of Christian teaching. Bread and its source are a critical element in our journey of faith. People will worship the source of bread whether it is an ancient fertility goddess or the wealthy corporation that employs them. Jesus' first temptation was to turn the stones into bread. The person who can supply bread to the hungry will be their god. It is important in our journey of faith to continually learn that one does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3). Also, this story is the background for Jesus' petition, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Jesus did not teach us to pray for bigger barns (Luke 12:13-21) to secure our future but to trust God each day. Will we trust God to provide for us each day, or will we expend our energy in useless anxiety about tomorrow? (Matthew 6:34). "In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instructions or not." Greed and mistrust of the faithful generosity of God continues to plague the Christian community. We also have trouble recognizing what we have has been given to us. "Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.' " But perhaps the most important connection with this story is that of communion or the Eucharist. At the table, we hear Jesus say of the bread, "This is my body which is broken for you." Once again, it is God who provides us with the bread of life. We are sustained by the love of God.
-- Exodus 16:4
For Christians, this is a foundational story that illuminates several aspects of Christian teaching. Bread and its source are a critical element in our journey of faith. People will worship the source of bread whether it is an ancient fertility goddess or the wealthy corporation that employs them. Jesus' first temptation was to turn the stones into bread. The person who can supply bread to the hungry will be their god. It is important in our journey of faith to continually learn that one does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3). Also, this story is the background for Jesus' petition, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Jesus did not teach us to pray for bigger barns (Luke 12:13-21) to secure our future but to trust God each day. Will we trust God to provide for us each day, or will we expend our energy in useless anxiety about tomorrow? (Matthew 6:34). "In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instructions or not." Greed and mistrust of the faithful generosity of God continues to plague the Christian community. We also have trouble recognizing what we have has been given to us. "Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.' " But perhaps the most important connection with this story is that of communion or the Eucharist. At the table, we hear Jesus say of the bread, "This is my body which is broken for you." Once again, it is God who provides us with the bread of life. We are sustained by the love of God.
