Scripture offers us something far more satisfying than we've probably every imagined.
Don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval. ... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:27 & 35, NLT)
Jesus had miraculously fed an eager crowd of more than five thousand just the day before, now they had come to find him, eager for more. More ordinary food. Less daily toil. And Jesus called them out. And informed them that he’d come to offer something far richer, something that would satisfy more deeply than any meal—ordinary or miraculous.
He’d come to offer soul food. No, not those tasty, African-American delights, but real soul food. Nourishment that money can’t buy. A nourishing every human heart (soul) craves, insatiably. A nourishment only the Divine can truly satisfy--satisfy at the deepest level.
This idea of Jesus coming to offer deep, soul-level satisfaction is one that shows up elsewhere, too. Even at the Last Supper, Jesus presents himself as nourishment:
Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.’ (Mark 14:22–24, NIV)
In this act of sacrament (religious ritual or symbol), Jesus communicated the profound truth that God offers to the human heart a thing as essential as our daily food. The Apostle Peter would later pick up a similar theme: “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One [Jesus] who invited us to God” (2 Peter 1:3, MSG).
So, how is it that we receive into ourselves this miraculous infusion of life? What does that look like? How do the words of Jesus nourish our hearts? You might’ve picked up on it already in the words of Peter, but Jesus didn’t leave his listener’s guessing:
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63, ESV)
We take in this life-giving soul food through the words of Jesus, the words of God.
I think there’s a couple of things going on here. First, Scripture does provide intellectual insight, stuff that speak to our minds, stuff that we can process. The words of Jesus (and Scripture at large) do communicate to us, with stories and logic, the framework of sustainable living, the essential structure of life. However, this far from the whole intent of the text. Perhaps even more importantly, Scripture brings us into relationship with the living person of God, so that we're not simply taking in ideas about God, but engaging in fellowship with the Divine, with God himself. That's why this word of God is so much more than a story or collection of writings (though it is those things, too).
Scripture brings us into the very life of God. Through Scripture, according to Jesus, we take in soul food at the deepest level. This is the big idea that flows through the whole narrative of Scripture. Again, it’s not just about a bunch of ideas—after all, there are plenty of religions to choose from, plenty of sages out there giving us great ideas for life, but in Scripture we find so much more. We find an encounter with the actual, (biologically sustaining) presence of God. This is real, life-sustaining stuff. The real, real, nourishing presence of the living God.
Crazy? Wild? Yep! Deep, satisfying? Absolutely! All the way down.
And experiencing this is what we’re all about here at Loveshaped Life. So join the journey—and bring a friend along, too.