Sat.’s Devo - Jesus, the Bread of Life

Read: 1 Samuel 8:1-9:27; John 6:22-42; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 14:34-35 Samuel had sons and like Eli they didn’t share his devotion to the Lord. They used their position to gain wealth unlawfully. *** Samuel was getting old, so the elders of Israel met with Samuel to discuss Israel’s future. They wanted a king like the other nations had. Samuel went to the Lord with their request and he told Samuel not to worry because they were not rejecting him, but the Lord. They had repeatedly abandoned the Lord for other gods so he was to give them what they wanted, but first he must warn them what a king would do. A king would draft their sons into his army, force them into labor to take care of his property, take their daughters and force them to serve him and take a tenth of their income to run his government. He warned the people, but they still wanted a king, so Samuel agreed to give them one and sent them home. *** Meanwhile, there was a wealthy man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin who had a son named Saul. Saul was tall and handsome and looked like a king. His father sent him to look for his donkeys that had strayed away. His servant went with him throughout the land but they didn’t find the donkeys. He decided to go home before his father began to worry about him. His servant remembered that Samuel lived close by and they could ask him since he was a seer. They scrounged up some silver to give him as a present. *** God had prepared Samuel for Saul’s visit. He told him to anoint him to be the leader over Israel. He would rescue them from the Philistines. *** There was to be a public sacrifice at the place of worship and Samuel was officiating. He met Saul just as the Lord had said would happen and asked Saul to eat with him. He told him the donkeys he had been looking for were found and that he and his family were the hope of all Israel. 
 *** This got Saul’s attention. He stayed for the sacrifice and was given the finest cut of meat and was seated in the place of honor. After the meal, Samuel brought Saul to his house to stay the night. In the morning he woke him up to send him on his way. He took him aside to give him the word the Lord had given him. *** In John, the people who had been fed the day before were looking for Jesus. They had seen the disciples get in their boats and go across the lake. They couldn’t find Jesus so they went to see the disciples. They found Jesus on the other side and asked him how he got there. Jesus didn’t tell them he walked across the water, instead, he addressed the real reason they were following him. They wanted what he could give them naturally, like food. He tried to get them to believe in Him who God sent. They wanted a miraculous sign, as if he hadn’t just showed them one. They brought up the fact that Moses gave them bread from heaven every day. Jesus told them that Moses didn’t give them anything, God did, and now God was offering them the real bread. They didn’t get it. Jesus explained that he was that real bread - the bread of life. He came down from heaven to save the ones God had given him. If they believe in him they could have eternal life. They had a hard time with this statement. *** In both of our readings, the people wanted a leader to rule over them and give them benefits. In the Old Testament God wanted to be their king, but they wanted a natural king. In the New Testament, Jesus wanted to be their salvation, but they wanted tangible evidence. They both could not see that the spiritual brings the natural, not the other way around. *** Lord, thank you that you have opened our eyes to see and given us a heart to believe in you. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. May we feast on all the things you say and do and may we enjoy living in your presence.