Asking for Bread of Salvation

One of my favorite smells is the smell of bread baking in the oven. Whether it is made from whole grain, cracked wheat, or bread flour, rolls or loaves, my mouth waters when I think of how it will melt in my mouth when it comes out of the oven. There is nothing better that a roll or slice of bread fresh out of the oven. I like it covered in butter, honey, jam, or all by itself. Yum.

Some kind of bread made from grain is the staple food in every culture. Some countries make their bread flat such as tortillas in Latin America, or pita bread, in the Middle East. In Jesus’ day bread was flat like a tortilla. In Malawi the word for bread, nsema, literally means “food.” Their bread is made from finely ground cornmeal and boiled to a play-doh consistency. It is used like a spoon to eat the rest of the meal, and it is not considered a meal without nsema.

When I think of bread I think of the shape of loaves that my wife makes from yeast dough, or that we buy from the store. My mother made corn bread and biscuits and on special occasions she would make “light bread” rolls with yeast dough. When I smell fresh bread cooking in the oven the first thing I ask for is a slice.

Yeast is one kind of leavening that is used to make the bread dough rise. When the dough rises tiny organisms in the yeast makes the dough fill with air bubbles that makes the bread soft and light. (It’s alive!) Baking powder is another kind of leavening used in biscuits. Sour dough is made from leavening that is grown in a jar and kept for years, shared with friends, and even passed down through generations.

Not all bread is made with leavening. In the bible, leavening is a symbol of sin and as such the children of Israel were required to make the bread for Passover without leavening. Unleavened bread is also used in our Lord’s Supper services. Jesus told his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Mt. 16:6) He was talking about their false teachings that hide in the truth and puff up with pride. Like yeast, sin can take on a life of its own. But Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to leaven that a women hid in flour until it was all leavened. (Luke 13:21) He used the character of leaven to describe both sin and the Kingdom. Both change the character of the person it is inside.

When Jesus taught us to pray he included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 esv) The “daily bread” that Jesus was talking about literally means, “bread for tomorrow.” This not only applies to asking for our needs but also for asking for salvation from sin for each day.

Praying for daily bread reminds us that we need God for our nurturing and our nature. We need him to remove our sin and fill us with his nature to do his will. He taught us to pray like this because this is how he wants to work his life in us.

Bro. Robin

Asking God to Act

When my son was about three years old my parents came for a visit. One of my Dad’s favorite things to do with the grandkids was to take them to the “dime store,” or dollar store as we call them today, and let them pick out a toy. My daughter picked out something quickly but my son kept looking and it became apparent that he had something specific in mind.

   “Son, what are you looking for,” I asked?

   “A zooer,” he said. “I want a zooer.”

   “What’s a zooer,” I was almost afraid to ask?

   “You know, a zooer,” he said more emphatically, and with a bit of frustration in his voice added, “like yours. Zzzzzzzzzz, a zooer.”

Now I’m completely mystified. My Dad started to laugh and my son started to get upset. Then a light came on. I tried to look at it from a three year olds perspective and suddenly it occurred to me. He wanted a toy weed trimmer. He did not know what is was called but he correctly identified the sound that it made. To my surprise we found one but when it did not actually trim weeds or make the right sound he tired of it quickly. What he got was not exactly what he wanted.

As a child I rarely asked for anything. It just seemed liked everything I needed was already provided. We were neither rich nor poor by most people’s standards. But, we did not lack for necessities and my parents taught me to be happy with what we had. My parents had both grown up poor and had learned to make the most of what they had. That was a gift that has served me well and I am grateful that they passed it on to their children.

When I moved away to college I discovered a whole new meaning to asking and receiving. When I asked for money to spend on myself I received slow responses and small amounts, if any. But, when I wrote home that I needed a new pair of jeans because of the weather and a new pair of shoes to sing in the chorale I got a quick reply and enough money to purchase the necessary items. They responded to my need but not always to my want.

As a father I now know how difficult that was for my parents. We cannot give children everything they want because we cannot afford it and it would not be good for them. We sometimes wish we could give them more. We do well to give them what they need.

When Jesus taught us to pray he included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 esv) The “daily bread” that Jesus was talking about literally means, “bread for tomorrow.” He taught us to ask for our needs for just one more day. He wants to give us what we need and everything we want that fits his plan for our lives. He wants us to ask so he can give.

Bro. Robin