2023_05_26 Insight Post- Karenna Rowenhorst
This week’s reading- Numbers 11, John 3, Numbers 14, John 6
As I’ve been going through the Bible reading this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about food. There’s the manna in the wilderness; the yearning the people have for cucumbers, leeks, and meat from Egypt; the quail that God provides (and a punishment to go along with it); the barley loaves and fish when Jesus feeds the 5,000, and then Jesus himself, his body and blood, which he invites us to eat.
At first glance, that last one may strike you as a little unconventional. Eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood? What on earth is he talking about? I think the key to understanding “eating Jesus” can be found in how the people react after the spectacular miracle of the feeding of the 5,000.
After he feeds all these people, Jesus has to leave the scene of the miracle because the people have jumped to the conclusion that Jesus must be their king – an earthy provider of material goods and food, and a protector from enemies. Just like Moses led the people out of slavery and fed them with manna in the wilderness, the people believed that Jesus could provide for them and save them from the oppressive Roman rule they lived under.
Later on, the people catch up with Jesus, and Jesus says some powerful words to them: 26 “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.” (John 6:26-27 NLT)
Many people first followed Jesus because he met a practical need. We all have a hunger drive that needs to be filled. It is no different today than in Jesus’ day – our schedules often revolve around eating, planning to eat, choosing what to eat, where to eat… there are entire industries devoted to food and how we get it in our bodies. And somehow, in our very busy lives, we all find time to eat. I’ve rarely heard someone say, “I just can’t find the time to eat!” But we often say, “I don’t have time to exercise,” or “I don’t have time to clean my house/take my dog on a walk/go to the doctor/read my Bible/get my oil changed/etc.”
We can easily make feeding our bodies a priority because it is absolutely critical for life in the short term, and more often than not, it’s an enjoyable pursuit. Jesus knows the practical needs of the body, and he acknowledges this need by providing the people with food. Being fully human and fully God, hunger is something Jesus knows about!
But Jesus draws them further in than surface-level, bodily hunger. Jesus says that he can fulfill the deepest hunger of our soul, which is to be known by God and be in relationship with Him.
Jesus came to be our salvation, not an earthly ruler. He came to show us God the Father and to bring an eternal kingdom. Just as food is a high priority for the body, Jesus is the high priority of our soul. And just like we consume food, and it becomes every part of us, we need to be filled up with Jesus, from head to toe. Every time you eat, use it as a reminder that there is a life-sustaining gift offered to you that will never run dry or be empty. Jesus wants us to have a hunger for Him.
Karenna Rowenhorst
Senior Director of Education