Bread of Life
“Give us this day our daily bread.” – Matthew 6:11
When Jesus taught his
disciples how to pray he instructed them to approach God with affection by
calling him “Father” and to revere his name. They were to seek his kingdom in
heaven and ask for the same on earth, and seek forgiveness as well as forgive
others, and ask for help in time of temptation.
In the midst of this prayer –
which is a guide for all prayers – he included the portion of requesting bread.
This would not have been a surprise instruction. Deut. 8:2-3 speaks of manna
provided to the nation of Israel in the wilderness. Later in their journey with
Jesus, he instructed his disciples there is more to life than bread. In John
6:35 “Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never
go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty.’” When we pray for
bread – for the physical nourishment the human body requires – we are to pray
for the spiritual nourishment our spirit requires. Jesus is that spiritual
nourishment. He gives us what we require to resist temptation and be a light to
the world. (Matt.5:14)
Not only are we to pray for
ourselves and our family, but also for our neighbor. Our neighbor is the one without
bread. This is the reason Jesus used the plural pronoun “us.” When Jesus fed
the multitude he was speaking to a wide variety of people in their respective
journey with Jesus – his twelve disciples, other followers, seekers, doubters,
and those fascinated by his miracles. This prayer extends beyond the family of God.
When Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount he said “… love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt. 5:44) The “us” also includes those
who oppose Jesus.
