“Bread- Does not Cease”(2)

Matthew 6:9-13

One of the old translations is the Syriac translation. Two Syriac Bibles were found: one in Egypt and one in Palestine. That language is very close to Aramaic. Both Aramaic and Syriac use the same expression:

Lahmou Aminou Hablan Youmada.

Translation: Our Bread without ceasing, give to us today.

The translations are right. We need daily bread, for today and tomorrow, the right amount of “bread” without ceasing. So the request implies both time and amount.

Everyone is worried about economy. There is panic now in the USA. Economists are reluctant about using the word recession. Jesus knew that we have this concern. He knew the basic needs of humanity. We feel secure when we have provided for our daily needs. Some of us only feel secure when our daily means stacking up for many years!

What can we learn?

1- Trust. Do I trust God for my daily bread?

There is nothing wrong in planning. There is nothing wrong in investments. But there is a serious problem when our trust is in our “bank accounts.”

What is the use of endowment funds for future, when today’s need is being ignored? I say again, planning and making financial plans is healthy, but we need to balance. The question comes to my mind, do we trust God?

Years ago, no one imagined that CACC could build such a wonderful building. Today we do not have mortgage payments. Thanks to the donors. We did trust God when we were building. How about now, do we trust God for our daily bread? Do we trust God when the economy is in recession?

When I was in Beirut, our daughter was born during the war. Our income was very low. God provided daily. Literally, I have seen His provision day by day.

2- The provider is God. That means He will provide, not ceasing.

Why daily bread. Why daily?

So that we remember daily that He is the provider. He is the source.

It reminds us of the Exodus story. God asked the Israelites to collect daily manna from the desert. They did not listen. They collected more than they needed. The result? Spoiled and wasted food.

Jesus is teaching us in his prayer that God is the provider. We need to trust in Him daily. Yes, daily. Daily we learn to trust Him in our work, in our management, in our “home economy.” Daily this prayer reminds us that He is the one who gives; it is not my shrewdness in collecting.

Here is the Heidelberg Catechism (written in 1563 AD) about the daily bread:

“Give us this day our daily bread. That is: be pleased to provide us with all our bodily needs so that we may acknowledge that thou art the only source of all that is good, and that without thy blessing neither our care and labor nor thy gifts can do us any good. Therefore, may we withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it in thee alone.”

If we really pray in this attitude, there will be no poor in the world. If we pray in this attitude, we learn not to compare our “needs” and “wants” with our “neighbors’”. If we pray this petition with this attitude, we learn to prioritize our lives.

3- The right amount.

Solomon was wise to ask God: “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8,9).

I don’t know if you follow the news of celebrities. Usually they have serious problems in managing their lives. Asking God for the right amount, for just enough, is important. It teaches us to be humble.

4- The spiritual bread.

You all know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The city’s name means: Beit Laham. The city of bread. The irony is that Jesus who was born the city of bread became the Bread of Life. He provided us something that the bread and economy cannot provide: salvation and life everlasting.

The Samaritan woman learned that the water from the well would make her thirsty again. She wanted living water, which is eternal and will not make her thirsty.

Zaccheaus learned that financial security was not enough for happiness. He went out and immediately learned to give back.

Peter, a fisherman, wanted to catch fish. After trying all night, they did not catch any. Jesus gave them instructions and the result was abundant. Instead of collecting the abundant fish, he came on his knees and worshiped Jesus.

We need the bread that Jesus gives us. Jesus said I am the Bread of Life:

²⁶Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (john 6:26-27)

There is nothing wrong in asking for physical bread. Remember Jesus fed the thousands. I am worried that our focus is too much on the physical bread. Last Sunday I mentioned the will of God. I mentioned how we are confused with our needs. We push our will and think that is the will of God.

We need to understand that the ultimate will of God is that we become close to Him. The ultimate will of God is that no one will perish, and that everyone will hear about Him. The ultimate will of God is that we eat the spiritual food that transforms our character to a Christlike character.

We learn to share,

we learn to give,

we learn to think about others.

we learn to fulfill His mission.

Therefore, I cannot do it alone; I need “the bread” that does not cease. It only comes from Jesus. "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.”

5- Not my bread but ours.

Do you see the pronouns, us and our?

“O Lord, thank you for providing for me, only to me. My daily bread.”

In my previous sermons, I said this is prayer of praising and confessing collectively. This does not mean individually we are not responsible, we are responsible for our lives; yet, there is family of believers coming together and praying together for each other.

When we pray asking God for our daily bread, we are asking God not just for providing my daily bread, for providing for our neighborhood, for our community, for our nation, and eventually for our world.

Are we responsible for each other? Yes, indeed, we are responsible.

Therefore, in summary, “O Lord, give us everyday whatever we need, not only to me but to my family, to our community, to our world. Lord, remind me that you are the provider and teach me to trust you. O Lord, teach me that more than physical bread I need you who give me life.”

AMEN