Scripture Passages for August 2-Part 2
John 6:24-35, Ephesians 4:1-16
" If we all learned what we should learn the first time 'round, we wouldn't need love at all." Karla in Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
David fell victim to his passions, which led to his demise, but also ultimately to his restitution. And in today's scripture, a thousand years later, the people following Jesus across the lake are still looking for immediate gratification instead of something long-lasting and restorative.
Just as Nathan had opened David's eyes, Jesus helps his would-be fans see that there is a bread that sustains for a day and another that sustains for eternity. One fills the stomach, but the other fills the soul, changes self-centered focus, erases fear, and brings peace. It seems easier said than done, and necessitates dedication, discipline, and devotion, things that lead one to the mirror for a closer look. With this kind of determination, the benefits of the Bread infiltrate and begin to seep in and then out of our pores.
In Ephesians 4:1-16, our last scripture focus, we see one final piece of the puzzle-the need to work together as a unit in our endeavor to be worthy of this new Bread we have been given. Christ's love and acceptance of us, foibles and all, propels us to practice humility, gentleness, and patience as we learn to extend Jesus's love for us to each other. We practice grace because Grace has been given to us, and "under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 1:16b This verse is our dream. So why don't we see it fulfilled each day?
Why don't we learn the first time 'round as stated in the quote above? Why do we need love? What is it about love that matters? What is the difference between love and Love? How does this compare to bread and Bread?
See you in class!
You've given us a lot to think about for our lesson this Sunday. I wonder how many of us are still seeking the "bread" (all those good things in life that we want to have and enjoy, and feel that God should bless our life with) more frequently than we seek the "Bread" (wanting to know Him more personally and allowing Him to fill that "hunger" and "thirst" that dwells within us)? Maybe we don't learn "the first time 'round" because we keep striving for the "bread" instead of the "Bread?"
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