We urged Him last night.
Asked Him to come and to stay with us awhile around our tables at Bible study.
He did, for he is faithful to entertain our invitations for his presence. Where two or more are gathered in his name, he is there among us, and last night was no exception. Bible study always brings an Audience with it. We may not see him, hear him, touch him or be able to feel him, but rest assured that if he is earnestly sought, we will always taste him.
Jesus Christ, the Word—Logos—is the bread of heaven.
And while others may prefer chips and salsa with their meal, my palate prefers the loaf.
I am a bread girl. Always have been. It was a staple at our table throughout my youth and has followed me to the table in years since. I’ve grown accustomed to its presence, and I miss it when it’s not there. Mealtime doesn’t feed the same in the absence of bread.
Bread comforts. Bread fills. Bread completes a table in a way that only bread can satisfy.
Jesus—the Bread of life—completed a table in Emmaus on his day of resurrection. It was fitting that one of his first acts of revelatory fellowship would include a loaf, blessed and broken and given from his very hands. It mirrored an earlier memory, one that included the same Bread who was broken with a different purpose in mind.
Earlier, prior to the cross, the Bread was broken to redeem. On this day, following the cross, the Bread was broken to reveal. To announce truth and to sear truth’s shield over the hearts of two who burned internally from the sacred flames of its heated embrace.
Jesus revealed the truth of his identity to his followers around a table and through a loaf of bread.
Not much has changed in 2000 years. Jesus is still in the business of revealing himself. Often around a table, and always through the giving and receiving of his bread. And lest you think I’m speaking solely about our reverent act of the occasioned sacrament, let me assure you that communion with Jesus exceeds our managed and calendared attempts of remembrance.
If we depended on church protocol for our feeding of God’s Bread, we would starve. That being said, it is good and fine and perfectly right for us to collectively remember Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. He has commanded us to do so—to remember his body that was broken and his blood that was shed on our behalf for our redemption.
But what do we do with this second table of grace? This time of further communion with Jesus in our Emmaus moments, when the focus is no longer the forthcoming cup of redemption, but rather ladles with the revelation that love’s redeeming work has been accomplished. Finished. Completed and written down as history rather than as a prophetic yearning yet to be fulfilled. What do we do with this second feeding of Bread?
Could I be so bold as to suggest that this second table of grace is where we are to live in our today? If we linger at a last supper’s loaf, we linger in possibility. We level our faith at a yet to be realized redemption. But when we move beyond the Upper Room, when we walk the truth of Calvary’s embrace and Easter’s resurrection, we no longer linger in possibility.
We live in promise.
We walk to the table knowing that the Bread who awaits us will comfort us. Will fill us. Will complete us in a way that only his Bread can satisfy. The Bread of remembrance doesn’t feed the same as the Bread of revelation, and if we stop short of this second table of grace, hunger will be our constant and abiding portion.
God doesn’t intend for us to walk away from his table hungry. He means for us to walk away well satisfied from the sacred feeding of his hands. He made us to be a people of Bread, both as partakers and as sharers of his abundance. To limit our “intake” is to limit his intention for our lives. Why would we limit Him? How have we arrived as such a pitiful conclusion about our Father’s capacity to feed us? Have we not yet tasted his bread?
Have we only…
invited?
Have we stopped short of partaking from his hands? If we have, then we’ve missed the point of his resurrection. To come to the table and to refuse the feeding is a choice to live hungry for the rest of our days. It is a foolish choice—a poorly reasoned choice—yet, one that we make every time we neglect our tabled moments with him.
I don’t know about you, friends, but I’ve grown weary with my foolish and childish thinking. It is time to move on. To fortify my frame and my flesh with the faith that walks obediently to the table, knowing that the Bread Who awaits me will fill my stomach full and feed my heart to overflow.
“Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’” (John 6:35).
And, perhaps, somewhere in our “coming” to this second table of grace, we too will recognize our Jesus for who he is and echo the stirred pulse of our spiritual ancestors…
‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’
I want a heart’s stir for always, and thus I pray…
Feed me, Father, with the bread of heaven. Push me past my refusal, and instead, open wide my mouth for the feeding. Let the filling from the world’s table be the starvation that leads me to yours. Burn in me a daily desire for your bread—a desire that leads me to my Emmaus table and that keeps me there until I reach the shores of my forever and dine with you face to face…at the table of grace, for always. Amen.
Copyright © September 2008 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.
In my next post, we will finish up this series on Luke 24:13-35. Until then, shalom.
So beautiful, Elaine.
Elaine, how often I come hungry when I visit here, and I walk away full, having tasted deeply from God’s Word. Thank you for serving His Word faithfully.
“If we linger at a last supper’s loaf, we linger in possibility. We level our faith at a yet to be realized redemption. But when we move beyond the Upper Room, when we walk the truth of Calvary’s embrace and Easter’s resurrection, we no longer linger in possibility.
We live in promise.”
“The Bread of remembrance doesn’t feed the same as the Bread of revelation, and if we stop short of this second table of grace, hunger will be our constant and abiding portion.”
Thank you for this sacred feeding. Thank you for tastes that increase my appetite and make me long for more.
Psalm 132:15 says that God will “give supper to those who arrive hungry”. (The Message) We have to “arrive hungry”. We can’t fill ourselves with other things that attempt to satisfy or fill us temporarily. God alone my friend, God alone.
Thank you for the feeding,
Joy
Amen, precious friend!
Bread is my favorite, too. In fact, at “Back to School” night, the children and parents took quizzes about one another. My daughter knows me well, because when she was asked “What is your mom’s favorite food?”, she answered (to much laughter, I might add) “Bread.”
This is a beautiful series.
Jesus – our best comfort food. What a thought – thank you Elaine.
Praise the Lord Elaine!
God has been telling me over and over again that He is the Bread of Life! I live off of every Word that proceeds out of Him mouth!:)
Every Word. Which means I need to know His Word in it’s entirety. Praise the Lord for your post!:)
katiegfromtennessee
His Word shared so eloquently!!
You ALWAYS fill me with His bread, Elaine.
I don’t know about you, friends, but I’ve grown weary with my foolish and childish thinking. It is time to move on. To fortify my frame and my flesh with the faith that walks obediently to the table, knowing that the Bread Who awaits me will fill my stomach full and feed my heart to overflow.
Amen.
you write with such beauty. heartfelt sincerity…
love…
grace..
but most of all…
HIM
blessings
How beautiful, Elaine! Many things touched my heart in very new ways. I do think of Him as the Bread of Life, and the Bread that was broken to redeem us.
I had never thought of Him as the Bread that was broken to reveal Himself to the others. How many times have I heard this, yet never pondered over it. Thank you, sweet friend for this beautiful series.
Love you,
Susan
How often have I been here—“To come to the table and to refuse the feeding is a choice to live hungry for the rest of our days. It is a foolish choice—a poorly reasoned choice—yet, one that we make every time we neglect our tabled moments with him.”
Poor choices in some years of my life…and I think now of the time of nourishment that I didn’t take advantage of!
Elaine…you are an awesome teacher, writer, and listener. For it is certain…YOU are listening to HIM.
You are such a blessing girl. I love you much!
I must mediatate on this more. I will linger on this today! Again, Elaine, I must say, this makes the most wonderful devotional material for my mornings. Thank you!
In His Graces~Pamela
Wow. I have been waiting for your next installment and it exceeded my expectations. You write so that it is understandable and personal. Thank you so much.
wifeforthejourney:
Thank you for your invitation to Communion today! The first verse of the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” says:
“Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more (want no more) feed me till I want no more.”
It is good to know we are welcome at His table!
Love you,
Billy
“Let the filling from the world’s table be the starvation that leads me to yours.”
If we could only see on the outside the starvation we are going through when we refuse to partake of Him.
I am afraid that many time others notice it before we do.
It is sad that we can not always see this world for what it is….it lures us away with its tasty morsels. But once we eat…we get sick.
He is in the process of healing my dehydrated, emaciated body. I am beginning to remember why I loved His food so much in the first place.
He gives us just what we need for the day….going for more than a day begins to wipe the memory of the excellent meal from you mind.
After awhile….you can’t even remember what it smelled like.
I would so hope that this last venture away…would be my last.
I have learned a lot but I am so hungry. 🙂
I’ve enjoyed this.
Thank you Elaine for these most insightful words of truth.
I always walk away refreshed and with new eyes for my journey.
Blessings, Cindy
“Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord,
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul,
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.”
This is my prayer this night…Thank you, Elaine..your writing has such a soothing poetic rhythm…
So beautifully expressed, Elaine. What a soul-satisfying God we have!
Hi Elaine! I hunger for more of the bread that truly satisfies!..I want to say thank you for your words of encouragement. Your words are always so full of wisdom. God uses your blogs and your words in more ways than you will probably never know. Thanks!
To answer your question: school is going good. It’s really busy. I guess because it’s my junior year and I’m working part-time as a youth leader. I’m also trying to get more involved around campus. So, I guess my new talent is juggling. 🙂
~Jennifer
I’ve been catching up the last couple of days…printed these last three posts for reading and meditating on for my bus ride home.
Never once have I come here and left unsatisfied. So blessed by the way you share the “bread of life” with us. Thank you.
This portion especially spoke to me today:
“…when we walk the truth of Calvary’s embrace and Easter’s resurrection, we no longer linger in possibility.
We live in promise.”
Praise God!
Elaine,
This is washing afresh on me this morning! I think of the words….He walks with me and He talks with me….if only I will make myself available, because HE SURELY DOES!
I want to linger in His presence, more than I ever have before, and this writing causes a hunger Sister.
Love to you,
Yolanda
Elaine… sometimes when I am at the table with Him… the offering is so overwhelming… the scents… the flavors… the beauty of the presentation… that I taste, but it is just too much… I’m not sure why I am afraid to go even deeper. Need to just take the plunge…and trust.