“Bread for the Journey” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on August 11, 2024. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 40:10.
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Scripture text:
1 Kings 19:4-8
John 6:35, 41-51
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
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Let us pray:
Almighty God, as we hear your gracious Word, make us hungry for Jesus, your holy manna, that we may feed on him, the bread of life. Amen.
It is nearly impossible to ignore the volatile political landscape our nation finds itself in. I’m sure you know this; try as we might but it is nearly impossible all the negativity that is happening. As the presidential race continues to heat up, we find ourselves bombarded with attack ads and social media commentary that tear each other down; tear the other person down; rather than uplift the voices that truly matter. We are in the middle of an election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, who at times seem more focused on casting shadows over the other than on illuminating a path forward for our people. As our politicians – the leaders of our country – tear each other down rather than enacting policies to build people up, I ask you to consider: What sustains you in such turbulent times? What keeps you steady and hopeful despite the conflict and chaos?
In this time of division and strife, we are called to remember that we are not just bystanders; not just witnesses to what is happening around us. As disciples of Christ, we are participants in something much greater than ourselves. We are part of a community, a body of Christ that has the power to nourish and uplift one another. God provides us with what we need for our journey. Jesus is the bread of life—the living bread—a gift from God for all of us.
Let’s start with the story of Elijah in 1 Kings. After a dramatic showdown with the prophets of Baal, where God’s power was displayed, Elijah finds himself in a state of despair, fleeing from the threat of death ordered by Queen Jezebel. He journeys into the wilderness, feeling utterly defeated and despondent. Elijah collapses under a broom tree and prays to God and prays for death, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Elijah, a prophet of God who despite his victories, now feels the crushing weight of fear, guilt, and exhaustion.
How many of us can relate to those moments of despair? Life can be overwhelming, and we often find ourselves in our own wilderness, feeling lost and questioning our worth. But God did not abandon Elijah in that moment. Instead, a messenger from God comes to Elijah, not with condemnation for his prayer of death, but with sustenance—bread and water—and encourages him to rest. And then the messenger of God provides for Elijah and encourages him to rest for a second time. Twice.
This moment – the provision of physical sustenance – gives Elijah the strength to continue his journey for forty days and forty nights.
We too endure our own battles—be it in our careers, our families, or our communities. We often feel like we are wandering, lost in the wilderness of our own struggles, or the struggles of our nation. Yet, just as God provided Elijah with bread for his journey, God also offers us the bread of life through Jesus, who sustains us and gives us strength to carry on.
Elijah’s bread was literal, but it was also a symbol of God’s sustaining grace. Just as Elijah needed physical sustenance for his journey, we need sustenance for our journeys: physical, emotional, and spiritual. This brings us to our Gospel reading from John, where Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
In this passage, Jesus is addressing a crowd that is struggling to understand his identity and the nature of his mission. They murmur among themselves, skeptical of his claim to be the bread that came down from heaven. They know Jesus as the son of Joseph and Mary—ordinary, familiar figures. Yet, Jesus calls them to transcend their ordinary perceptions and recognize the extraordinary truth of who he is.
Peter Claver Ajer, in his commentary on this passage, emphasizes the symbolic nature of bread in John's Gospel. Bread is not just physical sustenance; it is a symbol of life: a relationship with God and the promise of eternal nourishment. Jesus, as the bread of life, offers himself as the source of life. He is the Word of God, the Logos, who sustains us and restores us. Like the bread we must eat for physical sustenance, Jesus is reminding the people that our spirits need him. It’s more than just literal bread; Jesus sustains us in ways that physical bread cannot. In our weariness, in our moments of despair like Elijah’s, Jesus offers us him: his life; his grace; his strength – the living bread!
But this gift of the bread of life is not just us. Like the feeding of the 5000, the bread we are given must be shared with every member of the community. In our third passage for this morning, In the letter to the Ephesians, we are asked to imitate God; to imitate Christ in our own lives. If Jesus is the bread of life for us, we must in turn provide this ‘bread’ for others. The author of Ephesians asks us to “speak the truth to our neighbors,” to “let no evil talk come out of our mouths, but only what is useful for building up,” and to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”
Sally Brown, a former professor of mine, writes these are not just moral guidelines but radical blueprints for a transformed community. In a world where discourse is often marked by lies, anger, and division, these words are a revolutionary call to a different way of being. We are called to put away falsehood, to address our anger without letting it fester, to work honestly and share with those in need, to speak words that build up rather than tear down, and to cultivate kindness and forgiveness in our daily lives.
This transformed way of living is how we imitate Jesus as the bread of life. Just as Jesus sustains us, we are called to sustain each other. A word of encouragement or an act of kindness can give another person the strength they need for their journey. Alternatively, words of malice and actions that tear down can derail someone’s journey.
Now for a positive story, this past Wednesday, I took our new youth advisory team to a high ropes course for a team-building exercise. This group of young leaders will be brainstorming, planning, and implementing youth ministry events throughout the year. Despite the pouring rain, our youth cheered for each other as we navigated our fears and anxieties high up in the air. “You can do this!”, “I believe in you!”, “You’re amazing!”, “I’m right here; come to me”, “Go ahead and try!”, and “You did it!!”. No matter the obstacle or the occasion, for two hours we encouraged each other and built each other up. We cheered for each other! Imagine if our political leaders were like that; where they would cheer for each other and build each other up. Because it is without a doubt that if we did not have the encouragement or even someone to walk with us as we tried even the first level of courses, some of us might not have had the courage to try at all.
And shout out to Captain Burke who came to my rescue when I got stuck in the middle of an obstacle dangling from a zipline. As I was holding on for dear life, he was gently telling me to “hang on” and imagine the ground below was lava, which I didn’t need to do because I was already holding on for dear life as I was high in the air; don’t worry; I was rescued!
On Wednesday, we spent afternoon cheering for each other, encouraging each other, empowering each other. On Wednesday, our new youth advisory team – the leaders of our church – experienced a glimpse of the kind of community envisioned in Ephesians. A community where we build each other up, where we sustain each other with words and actions of love and kindness. This kind of community is going to do great things in our church and our world; a community that builds people up!
Jesus, the bread of life, sustains us with his grace and love. And in turn, we are called to be bread for each other’s journey, offering encouragement, kindness, and support. We must strive to be a community that lives God’s love in the way of Jesus Christ, especially in a world that often seeks to tear us down.
In the next few weeks and months, as navigate the turbulent political landscape and the challenges of our daily lives, hold fast to the sustaining grace of Jesus, the bread of life. Be mindful of the ways we can build each other up, offering words and actions that sustain and strengthen. And remember, just as God provided for Elijah in his moment of despair, God provides for us with the living bread of Jesus Christ.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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