Scripture Reflection 6 “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:4
8/05/2012 03:12:00 PM
In our daily lives, we need a lot of things in order to survive. God, as our creator, is fully aware of all these things. That is the reason why everyday, we have food on our tables and clothing to wrap around our bodies.
God is a great provider. I know everyone can attest to this one. Even if God does not give you exactly what you asked for at times, He always have something in store for you. He never leaves you empty-handed.
In the first reading, God has provided manna for Moses and his people. God wants to let them know about His miraculous providence so that they will trust in Him. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that we should not live like the pagans. Pagans’ main concerns for their lives are worldly possessions. We, as Christians should know better. We must put away the old self and our former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
In the gospel, Jesus realized that the people did not come to Him because they have been renewed and touched by the Holy Spirit but rather because He has given them their fill of the loaves. And so Jesus told the people, “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” (John 6:27)
When we get hungry, we eat. That’s the normal reflex. When we eat, we get full. We get satisfied. But we should also put in mind that Jesus is the “Bread of Life”. Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
I remember moments when our family experience trials. Lately, I was admitted in the hospital. First reason why I don’t want to be admitted was that I don’t want to be a burden to my parents by having them pay my hospital bill. But it’s the way it is supposed to be. Anyhow, I was really praying that there won’t be a need for me to be admitted but the doctor insisted that I needed to stay in the hospital so I can be monitored. And so I was admitted for the third time with the same diagnosis. When I got inside my room, the first thing inside my mind was, “Haaay. Gasto nasad.” It was what I thought because I don’t feel weak enough to stay in the hospital. I feel like I can handle it by just going on with my everyday stuffs normally. My mom was telling me not to worry about anything and that it is more important that I get well.
I realized after some time that I became doubtful about God’s provisions. In Matthew 6:25, God said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” God made me realize that worrying does not help. And after everything that happened to me, my God did provide everything that I need. He healed me too. That is how awesome God is! You see, it is God, Himself, that tells us we’ve got nothing to worry because He got our back. God wants us to trust Him daily with our every need.
Yes, God provides us with the things we need to survive but at the same time, He tells us that those things are not the most important things in life. It is written in Matthew 4:4 that, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” What good is there for us when we are able to eat and satisfy our stomach everyday and yet never get our souls filled? At the end of the day, everything will be worthless. We must all know that the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drinks, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) There is more to life than to just merely feed ourselves with tasty food and refreshing drinks. There is more to life than all the fancy clothes and accessories we have in our closets.
At certain times we say, “Si Lord na bahala.” But this does not have the same meaning as, “Your will be done.” What is negative about the first sentence is that we give the Lord the responsibility above everything that we end up doing nothing to gain what we are asking for. On the other side, “Your will be done” is another way of saying, “Lord, I pray for this to happen. I am working so much for this. But no matter what, let your will be done and I will accept it wholeheartedly.” We pray but we surrender because God knows what is best for us and He know what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).
Now, as we pray and ask God for our daily bread, may we always be reminded that Jesus himself is the bread of life. We must ask God to help us accept Jesus fully in our lives because it is only through Him and in Him that we may fully live and have eternal life.
A simple reminder every time you feel worried about anything in your life:
“Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Worry and everything seems worthless. Pray and everything will be worth it.”
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