(Children in Honduras being fed through the Infant Feeding Program)
Bread That Never Molds
by Bishop Chris Giesler
Preaching Texts:
- Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
- John 6:24-35
For a middle-school science research project, my son decided to test the mold formation rates on sliced white bread under different conditions to see how different storage methods impacted the molding process. So he put a slice of three sealed plastic bags, one of which he placed on a countertop in our kitchen, one in a dark pantry, and another in the refrigerator. I think the one in the dark pantry molded the quickest, but I know that all of them eventually grew some mold. All I know is that few things in life are more disappointing than having a taste for a PB&J sandwich – only to find bread with mold growing on it.
Our reading from Exodus and John’s Gospel fit together very well. In Exodus, we have the story of God feeding the Hebrew people manna and quail as they wandered in the wilderness. Our Gospel text picks up Jesus’ story soon after he has provided an abundance of bread and fish to a huge crowd of people. These folks ate their fill and are now asking for more.
Jesus refers to Moses’ work with the Hebrews, in which he instructed people on how much to eat and when to harvest their food. These instructions mention that the manna was only good for a short period, after which it would rot—one could say moldy. There, in the wilderness, God provided for the physical needs of the people just as parents supply food for their children.
But Jesus now hints that God’s generosity was not a once-and-done thing; in fact, God continues to provide bread even today in Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” So, we have moved from physical needs to more enduring spiritual ones.
The truth is that God is still sustaining us today in a spiritual way that should prompt us to reach out to others in a physical way. Sometimes, to actually BE the church of this day and age, we must first reach out to supply food and water to those in need. Some of the most genuine expressions of God’s grace occur when a hungry person is handed a plate of food without judgment, condemnation, or expectation.
We must also be willing to help meet the spiritual needs of others. In doing so, we might find that those most in need are those who have never been truly hungry for food.
As preachers ponder how to give spiritual nourishment to those who will listen to this sermon, they must first search for what type of hunger is present. What are you hungry for? What kind of food do you have to offer? What type of bread can you give that will never grow moldy?
