Article July 8, 1944 Issue

The Bread of Life

DOROTHY EILEEN HEYWOOD-DOVE

"I Am the bread of life," said Jesus to those Jews for whom he had so liberally provided a repast in the desert, seeking to turn their thought from the outward manifestation of loaves and fishes to the qualities of thought which had enabled him to give the needed nutriment through the exercise of divine power. His guests at the spiritual repast had then followed him across the sea of Tiberias, hoping no doubt for further material advantage. Then, as though to test and enlighten them, he added to the statement quoted above, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Everywhere that Spirit led him Jesus found those who received him gladly; everywhere he found also a famine of the hearing of the word of the Lord, though much outward observance of rites and ceremonies. With parable and miracle, Jesus persistently sought to enlighten this mental darkness. He fed humanity through the exercise of spiritual law, he healed by divine power, he provided for the tribute money through a knowledge of spiritual supply, thus pointing unerringly to the government of God.

"I am the bread of life," said the Master. Here, indeed, was the prophetic utterance foreshadowing Jesus' complete supremacy over the forces of evil, leagued to bring about the destruction of the spiritual idea of Life which he represented, that very ideal which was bringing them salvation, even while the carnal mind conspired constantly to annihilate the human representative of the immortal Son of God. How well Christ Jesus knew that none could approximate his spiritual achievements—could come unto him, could approach his divine altitude—unless the Father who had sent him should draw them first to learn their true origin and nature, and thence partake of the divine image and likeness. To those who sought and obeyed the Father, the understanding of true sonship would follow naturally; the transition from mortal thinking to spiritual reflection of the divine nature would already be taking place.

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