BY DAWN REED

Eating a bagel this morning, I pondered how many times Jesus gave, broke and shared bread.

He was born in Bethlehem – the House of Bread, a fact all of us carb lovers remember quite well.

I love that Jesus said He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48). He is a vital part, a crucial part, of our daily life. He did not say He was the lettuce or meat. Makes sense. Let us be honest: we go days without eating a salad or may choose to be vegetarian.

Bread is a staple – an everyday part of our lives. These days I like cream cheese on my bagel, gravy on my biscuit, and fresh butter on my toast, please and thank you. I put cheese on breadsticks or oil and seasonings at the Italian restaurant. I cover up the bread with all manner of toppings, but it is always there: the foundation.

The Bible shares many stories of Jesus and bread. With five loaves of bread and two fish, He fed thousands of people. At the Last Supper, He used the bread as a symbol of His body that would be broken. One of my favorites is told in Luke 24:13-35.

On the very first Easter, two men were traveling home to Emmaus. They were deeply disturbed at the goings-on in Jerusalem. When Jesus, whom they did not recognize, walked up, He asked them what had them so downcast.

If you have read the story, you know they were astounded that He had not heard that the One they thought was the Messiah had been crucified. It is a dramatic story when you read it, picturing the whole conversation as they walked the seven miles to Emmaus.

After they told Jesus all that had gone on and their disappointment, Jesus spoke. Oh, yes, He did. My beloved once said in a sermon, “He didn’t do a miracle; He pointed them to Scripture.”

Jesus went all the way back to Moses, explaining to the confused and saddened disciples what the Scripture told about HIM. When they reached their destination, Jesus acted like He was going on, but they wanted more time with Him. So, they invited Him in.

Jesus was at the table with them, took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Then…this is the part that gives me chills every time…they KNEW it was Him and suddenly He was gone.

They asked each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while He talked with us and opened the Scriptures to us?”

I call that a delicious case of heartburn. And I hope you will have one, too. One that Nexium cannot help. Here are other things I am hoping:

• That you are reading God’s Word. Every. Single. Day.
• That you wake up looking forward to your time of reading it.
• That you dig into it like never before, applying it to your everyday life.
• That you post it on your bathroom mirror so you will be encouraged first thing in the morning, post it on your kitchen cabinet, say it out loud, and be bolstered as you hear the words of God spoken.
• That you share it. It is alive and active. That means it is applicable to today and everyone you meet.

Shew, who knew so much was in a morning bagel?

Dawn Reed is a newspaper columnist and pastor’s wife in Prestonsburg.