One day Jesus was teaching that he is the Bread of Life. He wanted us to know that when we believe and follow him, we will never want or need anything else. He is our strength and fulfillment.
Jesus talked a lot about this in John Chapter 6. He said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." And, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Some of his friends and followers took issue with this idea. They said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"
Jesus said, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"
In other words, Jesus says, "What if, right now, you saw me return to heaven and join God the Father? Then, I know you would believe what I'm telling you. So, if you know that God sent me and if you desire to do God's will, you are called to believe -- even the things that are hard for you to accept."
Some of Jesus' teachings are hard for us to understand and even harder to follow because they always call us to put Jesus first, and to let go of our ego and to love others, even when we have been wronged or offended, and even when we disagree.
We have the freedom to question and to go to God in prayer. Our lives are a spiritual journey, and we wrestle with some big things as we seek the Lord.
But let us ask ourselves: Do I just believe what I want, and therefore create a false idea of God that makes me comfortable and justifies my thoughts and actions? Or do I allow God's Word to challenge me and call me to a better way of life?
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9.
Do we desire to be holy as God is holy? (1 Peter 1:16)
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