New Bread, New Lives

Acts 9:19b-31
John 6:52-59
Good for Barnabas! While the other leaders of the church in Jerusalem were afraid of Saul and doubted his conversion Barnabas took the risk of trusting Saul and urging the others to do the same (Acts 9:27). Of course this must have taken a great deal of courage. Saul’s hatred of the church was well-known, and it had not been very long since Saul had consented to the stoning of Stephen. But Barnabas saw what God was doing and stepped out in faith to play a part.

Even in the Christian community things were changing rapidly in those days. Old foes were becoming believers. The gospel message was spreading. The church was growing by leaps and bounds. John’s gospel offers a helpful context for understanding what was going on. In Jesus Christ God was giving the world “bread that came down from heaven, not like that which (the people of Israel) ate, and they died” (John 6:58). What had gone before, even the most cherished of memories and traditions, was being reinterpreted. New understanding abounded. Saul was a Christian: would wonders never cease?

Our lives are full of traditions and memories. And while they offer us hope and comfort in many ways, these traditions, these memories, can also keep us from seeing clearly what is happening around us. To “let go and let God” sometimes means letting go of how we understand God and allowing God to reintroduce the divine self to us. This can be a scary experience, but if we respond by taking the risk, we may find that old foes and old assumptions have taken on a new meaning and that life is headed in a fresh new (and exciting) direction.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to move ahead by your grace, to trust in what you are doing in our midst, and to live with faithful obedience all our days. In Jesus’ name. Amen.