Jesus continued to teach the Lord’s Prayer saying from Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4:
Give us this day our daily bread
Jesus who often spoke in parables was emphasizing on spiritual rather than physical bread. In confirming this fact, Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, Matthew 4:4; Like 4:4. The Old Testament reference is Deuteronomy 8:3.
In John 6:32, Jesus distinguished spiritual bread from physical bread when he said, verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven: but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. Jesus said in verses 33-35 that the bread of God is he who comes from heaven, and gives life unto the world. In verse 51, Jesus said he is the living bread from heaven and any man who eats of it shall live forever and the bread that he will give is his flesh and it will be the life of the world.
Jesus said I am the bread of life, John 6:35; 48. He said I am the bread from heaven, John 6:33-35; 51. Jesus said he that comes to him shall never hunger; and he that believes in him shall never thirst. By these references, Jesus was talking about the characteristics of the bread.
Jesus said he is the bread. The bread comes from heaven. It is the true bread. It gives life. It satisfies hunger forever. It is living bread. It gives life forever. The bread is Jesus’ flesh. The bread is for the world. It is for daily nourishment. Jesus asked his disciples to celebrate the communion of bread and wine in remembrance of him, Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. Jesus rightly observed that the world was perishing without God so he offered himself to quench the world’s spiritual deficient nourishment.
Unfortunately, we have misconceived Jesus’ intent by primarily focusing on physical bread as our daily sustenance. This is because Jesus’ ministry involved food to the physically hungry. Jesus fed bread to the five thousand and seven thousand besides women and children. God fed the Israelites with manna in the dessert. These examples should however not detract from Jesus’ intent. Paul said we should desire spiritual milk like newborn babies in order to grow spiritually, 1 Peter 2:2.
Jesus is more interested in our spiritual nourishment that grows our souls than our physical body. Jesus said the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness shall be satisfied, Matthew 5:6. He said no father will give a snake to the son for bread if asked, Luke 11:12. Jesus meant in the Lord’s Prayer that God who is our father is the true source and giver of good and right bread for nourishment. Good bread is Jesus and his word to dwell in us and us in him.
By introspection, do you hunger for righteousness? What type of bread do we often ask for? To whom do we make your request? What has been the purpose of our request for bread? Do we need to change it and are we ready? We must be careful about who feeds our souls and with what bread? We must feed on Christ Jesus as our daily bread through his word, prayer, meditation and our works.
Physical bread or food may be important but our spiritual life is more important. Water compliments food so Jesus said, those who believe in him shall never thirst. Jesus said we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous, and all these things shall be ours as well, Matthew 6:33.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching us the truth about your reference to bread in the Lord’s Prayer. Please feed our souls today and always that we may grow spiritually, Amen!!
