The Broken Bread

Jn.6:27, ‘”Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”’
Above are the words spoken by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He spoke them to the multitude who sought Him for the sake of bread that filled their tummy. A day before, they had witnessed a crowd of 5000 men being fed from a small basket of 5 loaves and 2 fishes. They had also seen 12 baskets full of left overs. Hence, this day, this crowd labored to cross the sea as far as Capernaum to see Jesus. Jn.6 ;24, ‘Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.’
Many of us seek Jesus and take pains to do so. Some go out of their way to do many things for Christ’s name sake. Many spend time, money and efforts even during a tight schedule of the day. But at the end of the day, if all these have not grown us spiritually, it’s all in vain. Many take pride when they secure wordly benefits or blessings and take them as a guarantee to prove that they are in the right way. Indeed, such benefits too are a much needed blessing that comes from God, but cannot measure our spirituality in any way.
The multitude fed their belly with the loaves and the fish. Their physical need of hunger and healing was met. They took efforts to seek Jesus. But at the end of it, they found that they had labored for food that spoils. Such form a major chunk of the so-called believers within the walls of church. In Mathew , ch 24:10-13, Jesus talked about the signs of the end days. If we read carefully, we note that ‘many will be offended..many false prophets will arise…many shall be deceived…love of many shall become cold….but he who endures unto the end shall be saved. Among the numerous ‘many’s’, there’s only ‘he’ that might endure. This ‘many’ is from within the church and not outside. In other words, one among many ‘so called believers’ shall be actually saved. And the main reason behind this is many run after Jesus for bread that spoils. Not many are interested in the bread that does not spoil…that which purifies us….that which fills us with His love and strength to withstand the trials and temptations.
Being in the same church, attending the same worship sessions and Bible classes does not assure endurance till being saved. Both, the multitude and the disciples received bread from Jesus. Yet, there was a difference in the application of this bread. Both witnessed the miracles, yet there was a difference in their attitude. Both took efforts to seek Jesus, yet there was a difference in their motives.
Here, Jesus said that people sought Him because their physical needs were met. But that such seeking is in vain. He therefore asked them to labor for bread that would endure to eternal life. Both, the multitude and disciples sought Jesus for bread. One sought the bread that spoiled while the other sought the bread that endured to eternal life. Though the source of bread was the same, the application, attitude and motives towards the bread that Jesus gave ultimately determined the destination of their boats.
Right Application : The ultimate purpose of the Word of God is to make one fit to go to heaven. Someone asked an evangelist, ‘If Bible is true, how come there is so much of wickedness, pain and hopelessness in this world ?’ The evangelist said that, ‘ unless a soap is applied on one’s body, the dirt cannot go’. The true purpose of a soap is not to give too much lather or foam, neither is it to give strong smell. It’s true purpose is to remove the germs from the body. When the germs go, the bad odor automatically goes. Similarly, when the word is applied in our lives to remove the innumerable sins from our life, many blessings automatically come. Every miracle of Jesus has a message and every message of Jesus has a miracle. Every time we apply the message in our spiritual lives, every time we get more and more purified. If we receive the miracle without the message, it does not remove any dirt from out spirit man. It’s then when the bread gets spoiled, even though the miracle has happened. The miraculous catch of fish convicted Peter of his sinfulness, while many others walked away with healing and miracles with an unconverted heart.
Right Attitude : We often put up an attitude of considering a life marked with super miracles as a spiritual life. Dear friends, consider every transformation in us as a miracle and the true miracle. Even in this sophisticated world, the latest medical equipments assure us of a heart transplant but never a heart transformation. No man can get his heart transformed unless through a divine intervention. Giving up lying, stealing and gossiping is the true miracle. The heart that is satisfied with an outward miracle seeks more of them, while the heart that seeks Christ is followed by miracles. The former follows miracles blindly and do not hesitate to cross the borders of right and sound doctrine to witness and enjoy them. Though miracles draw one’s attention towards God, persisting is such an attitude can make the found man lost again. When the crowd was satisfied with the loaves and fishes, they sought Jesus again. But when Jesus talked about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, they left following Him. But Peter said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life.’ Peter had found the real miracle in himself through the words of Jesus. He had got the miracle of words that endured to eternal life. Hence, he could continue following Him till the end.
Right Motives : For many, a spiritual life is enough as long as it takes care of all his worldly needs. Such lives are very choosy while listening to a message. They take all they need to live on this earth and ignore the rest. But the real motive of taking part of the bread of life is to be like Him who called us. The more we eat of His body, the bread of life, the more and more we ought to become like Him.
Jesus, the bread of life, will strengthen and nurture us. But its longevity will be deter-mined as per our attitude, motives and application of the same. If the word endures in us, our souls will endure all things till we reach eternity. But if receive the word with wrong attitude and intentions, the word we hear won’t endure in us. It will soon get spoiled and thereby, spoiling our eternal life. The application of the word is wrong as long as it does not convict us of our sins and lead us to repentance. It’s wrong if our motive is just to meet our worldly needs.
During the days of Mosses, God gave manna to all the Israelites. They were asked to collect only that much that was needed. The surplus collected would get spoiled by the next day. But on the 6th day of the week, they were supposed to collect for the 7th day, which was Sabbath. Ex.16:24, ‘ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.’ The surplus did not get spoiled, when they were collected as per the instructions of the Lord. Anything which is not as per the instruction of the Word of God will be spoiled…..even the listening of God’s word.
Jn.6:39-40, ‘”And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”’
Jesus came to earth to do His Father’s will and He understood well what it was. Hence, though He used miracles to meet the various physical needs of the multitudes, His intention was to lead them to receive spiritual food, by which they would live to a life eternal. His intention was to prepare all that His Father gave Him to a life eternal with Him. His intentions remain the same to this day, for Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Cross- A Unifying & A Separating Experience

Lk.23 : 32-33, ‘Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.’
Jesus, our Lord was crucified between two criminals. Though all the four gospels have mentioned about the two criminals crucified on the either side of Jesus, only the gospel of Luke has mentioned about their spiritual status. One of them mocked Jesus saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief said, ““Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
These two thieves represent the two groups of mankind, standing on the either side of the cross of Jesus. One group rejects Christ, while the other group receives Christ. One group is condemned while the other group is saved. One is promised paradise, while the other faces the fearful silence of the divine one. One is ruptured into eternity with Jesus while the other is left behind.
On the other hand, both were accused as thieves. Both deserved to be punished. Both were sentenced to be crucified. Both walked the same way to the Calvary. Yet at the last moment, just a little before the dead end sign posts of their lives’ journey, the cross of Christ separated them forever. One was forgiven and the other condemned. Both slept the sleep of death, but one, with the hope of waking up to behold the face of the Lord in righteousness, while the other with no hope.
Today or tomorrow, each of us will be at this cross road. Death is a reality. It comes in every life, whether we like it or not. It’s as true as birth. But death is no death for a child of God. It’s passing on to another phase of life eternal. But even for a child of God, death is a separation from those who are not in Christ. Though death in Christ is joining Christ eternally and literally, it is still an eternal separation from all those who are not in Christ.
Math.24:40-41, ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two wom-en shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, the other shall be left.’
Lk.17:34-36, ‘I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.’
People staying in one home, walking the same ways, working together, resting together or even suf-fering together is no guarantee of having an eternity together.These facts point out to certain basic truths about salvation.
1. Salvation is a lone decision : The thieves on the cross might have stolen things together. They might have consulted each other and worked out a plan together. But when they were on the cross, the saved thief did not consider it important to consult with his friend and partner about putting his trust in Jesus. He took the decision alone. Putting our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is not a decision which is to be taken after consulting our life partners or anyone else who has authority over our lives in any way. It’s a lone decision, completely led by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Salvation is an immediate decision : Salvation is today, not tomorrow. The saved thief on the cross did not wait to see if Jesus would indeed save Himself from the cross, or if anything special is happening to him. The very moment his spiritual eyes were opened, he asked the dying and suffering Jesus to remember him in paradise. When our eyes are opened to see Jesus as our Saviour, we make Him our Lord and God on the same spot of time. It’s a decision which cannot be postponed. Saul, while travelling to Damascus, was the one who persecuted the church of Christ Jesus (Acts 9:4-6). But when his inner eyes were opened, the very first thing he said was, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?’ Even in this time gap between a question and an answer, a heart got transformed…..a Saul got converted to Paul. He asked his Lord as to what he should do next.

3. Salvation is a faith decision : The saved thief saw Jesus as the king of His kingdom in faith, and thereby requested him to remember him. The power of the Holy Ghost works over the word of God which we hear and gives birth to a new life. Nothing is seen through our physical eyes. But the eyes of faith opens up, which sees things in faith as clear as our physical eyes……so much so that we even make decisions and commitments about our life on the basis of what our eyes of faith sees.

4. Salvation is a priority decision : The thief on the cross requested Jesus to remember him in paradise, rather than asking him to save him from cross. Putting complete trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is a unique decision. It’s a priority decision, immaterial of one’s surroundings or circumstances. It changes the priorities of our life. It makes one to focus on eternal things, even when the surrounding circumstances might seem to need more at-tention.

5. Salvation gives one a unique insight : The insight of seeing cross as a blessing was re-ceived by the saved thief on the cross. Had it not been for the cross, he would have been condemned both by this world and the King of Kings. The other thief, on the other hand kept aspiring to be saved from the cross, even as he hung on the cross. The saved thief embraced the cross while the unsaved thief hated it.

6. Salvation is a lone commitment : Even when the unsaved thief on the cross, the soldiers and the people around mocked Jesus, the commitment of the saved thief did not stagger. Though his trust in Jesus did not remove the cross from him, his commitment remained till the last breath of his remaining of his life. Putting trust in Jesus as our Lord and God is a commitment to be submissive to our Lord and His word in all situations and under all circumstances. It’s an unconditional lone commitment. It’s not influenced by the spiritual status of people with whom we live and rest, nor by any situations or circumstances. Even when other’s commitment staggers, our commitment ought to remain firm. No other person is responsible for our commitment…..not even the one’s who leads us or guides us in spiritual matters.

7. Salvation is with Jesus alone : Lk.23:43, ‘And Jesus said unto him, “Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”’ Jesus did not promise a paradise full of angels or saints that have gone before. He promised His own presence. Acts 4:12, ‘ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ My dear friends, salvation is available only in the name of Jesus Christ.

Cross – A uniting and a separating experience.

Math.10:35-38 , “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’ Cross is a uniting and a separating experience. Though the cross joins God and man, it does separate each of us from every one who does not carry their cross. It separates us from every iniquity that stands as an obstacle in being union with Christ. The cross joins us to Christ and separates us from the world. Union with Christ is joyous while separation causes pain. The joy, being much more abundant than the pain of separation is what makes us endure the pain of every separation.

The saved thief saw how Jesus united to the will of His Father by going through the untold and unjustified sufferings on the cross. Apostle Paul said that the cross can never be preached in the wisdom of words, for it is the demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor.1:17, 2:4). The gospel was not preached to the saved thief that day by any apostle, pas-tor or evangelist……not even by the very Son of God. But the cross was preached in complete demonstration of Spirit and power. The saved thief knew that Jesus was innocent, but it was not His innocence that touched this criminal. Rather the unjustified suffering of the innocent one in silence and meekness touched him and caused him to put all his trust on dying Jesus. Hence, he said, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Even before the very disciples of Jesus could believe in the resurrection of their master, this thief saw the resurrected Jesus in faith. Hence he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.
My dear friends, we, being children of God, have a unique calling of going through unjustified suffering. When the world suffers, they question the justice of God, and express their innocence. But a cross bearer suffers quietly and meekly….fully believing that all things happen for good for those who love the Lord……fully hoping that one day, we will be justified in literal aspect too. Embracing cross is a fire experience, purifying us, just like silver is purified in fire.
When the saved thief saw the unjustified suffering of Jesus, and His accompanying quietness and meekness, he did not have anything to complain about his own cross, which was the result of his own doings. Deep meditation of the cross of Jesus silences our complaining tongues.
If this unjustified silent suffering of Christ attracted the condemned thief , putting on Christ will give us the same attitude, which in turn can attract many to Christ. Our Lord, who suffered unjustly has been exalted to be the God of all justice. Through His unjustified sufferings, He has justified us. Thus, has He become our judge and lawyer.
On the cross, the physical eyes of the saved thief closed for ever, but his spiritual eyes opened to see Jesus in paradise. Experience of cross is completely personal. It cannot be shared with anyone in this world. Salvation is completely personal. Though we can share innumerable testimonies about it, it’s experience is completely personal.
As we are coming closer and closer to our eternity, we ought to ask ourselves as often as possible as to, ‘Are we saved ? Are we bearing our cross ?’ May this message strengthen each of us to examine our spiritual status.
May God bless you !