THE CHILDREN'S BREAD

These words were used by the Lord Jesus during a beautiful incident when He healed a little girl belonging to an enemy nation. It was after a long journey - perhaps ninety-five miles - from Jerusalem and made, I expect, on foot. Jesus had left the Jews who had no faith in Him, and had come to a distant land where He found a mother who had "great faith". She proved hat God had mercy even for her little daughter and herself.

The life of faith must be maintained by food and the familiar word 'bread' is often used in the Bible. Possibly there are more varieties of it in the Scriptures than we have for our daily bread at home! For example, the manna eaten by the children in the wilderness is called the "bread of the mighty" although it was itself so small. This means that if our spirits feed on Christ who was once a humble Man here we shall keep strong.

As the "bread of God" Jesus had come down out of heaven, available to the whole world. He spoke of Himself as the "living bread" and the "true bread" because many and even religious people had been trying to feed their souls on ceremonies and other lifeless things. It is one of the very many promises at by feeding on the "bread of life" the believer will never suffer hunger.

Older children will have heard of the "shewbread". This was a sign, always before God, of Israel as the whole twelve tribes. For us the teaching is that God's purpose to have pleasure in His people, now a heavenly one, never changes. As serving Him we must feed also on this, the 'bread of the presence'.

Young people at Corinth who heard Paul's epistle read out probably wondered what "unleavened bread" meant. It would be explained that leaven means evil. Since Christ as Passover Lamb had been sacrificed to save them from judgment, they must give up all evil things and be sincere and truthful. The believer finds it a feast to think on "whatsoever things are true"; do you?

J.C.Evershed