"And Jesus took the bread and giving thanks, He gave it out to those sitting; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted." (St. John 6:1-15)
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Jesus took the bread and gave thanks. That sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it?
It should! We hear it every Sunday when Jesus gives out His Body and Blood amongst us. Every time that the Lord feeds us His Supper, we hear that He took bread and gave thanks.
That day by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and distributed it. There was bread and fish for five thousand men to eat with twelve baskets of bread leftover. What a miracle!
Today, we are fed by Jesus too! It doesn't seem as much of a miracle as feeding five thousand men fish sandwiches from just five loves of bread and two fish, but it is just as miraculous! Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and breaks it in our midst in His Supper.
Our forefathers ate manna, bread straight from heaven, in the wilderness and they all died. The five thousand ate the bread and fish, and got hungry again. Sooner or later, they all died. That what sinners do, they die. That's what we will do too, we will one day run out of gas and die.
But Jesus has bread that a man may eat and never hunger or thirst again. Jesus has bread that a man may eat and never die. The one who eats the Bread of Life, the bread Jesus gives, lives forever. Jesus says, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54).
The Bread Jesus gives you to eat today in His Supper is His Body, given for the life of the world. He is the Bread from Heaven that a man may eat and never die! Take eat, His Body given for you. Take drink, His Blood shed for you on the Cross for the remission of all your sins. What was won for you by Jesus on the Cross is delivered to you in His Supper.
Rejoice, be glad! Rejoice! Today Jesus feeds you His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. His Body and Blood will strengthen and keep you steadfast in the one true faith unto life everlasting. In the name of Jesus! Amen.
"Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen." (the Collect for Laetare) 23
Higher Things Reflections are written by Rev. George F. Borghardt III, Assistant Pastor at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX