Bread is an instrument of good will, love and peace. It is unfortunate that it has become and shall be so even more a tool to buy favors and subdue other human beings. Illegal ways are used to secure bread. The devil wanted Jesus to use his power to turn stones into bread. Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Mt. 4:4). Man has used bread for different reasons.

The leaders and wise of this world keep warning us of the weapons that can destroy the world. We all fail to identify the reason for creating such weapons. It started way back when Cain did not let Abel graze his flock on his land. He could not bring himself to share his bread with his brother (Gen. 4). I was born in Poland, a land that changed hands between a several power hungry nations. Six years ago, two of our sons lost their homes to greedy money institutions that overextended their bread supply. We too ran almost out of bread when we reached beyond our bankbook. Jesus had this advice that could help us today. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you” (Jn. 6:27).

Twelve Jewish men went to a Samaritan village, bought food, prepared it, brought it to their teacher and said, “Master eat!” Jesus was not prepared to eat what his own disciples had prepared. Why did He refuse to eat, was there something wrong with the food? Jesus was hungry. Why did He delay eating? The simple answer was, He did not want to eat alone in front of people whose bread he needed. He expected to break bread with new friends. Among many people, there is a tradition that keeps and extra plate and seat open for an unexpected visitor, even one that is not friendly (Jn. 4:31-43).

The Biblical Creation Account tells us that God made a good world and a good man, but bread or food caused him to go bad. Eve let her taste buds cloud her thinking and believed her baker that the bread from the poisonous plant or tree would not be fatal. She ate and it made her feel so elated that Adam joined her willingly in her new experience with bread. Hence, bread gave them life, but it also brought them death (Gen. 3). Hereinafter, bread became a tool for both good and evil.

The Evangelist Luke, in connection with “Give us our daily bread,” had Jesus relate this suggestion. “Suppose, the hour is late, the door is locked and you are in bed with your children. You hear a persistent pounding at the front door. You get up and when you open the door you find your friend standing there and asking you to give him three loaves of bread to feed another friend that has come a long way and he has nothing to set before him. What will you do? The decent thing is to get up and help your friend” (Lk. 11:2-8). It is not just the Gospel; it is common sense.