For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
John 6
Why did Jesus use the occasion of feeding the crowd to teach that he was the Bread of Life? Why did this offend so many? I see this entire conversation as Jesus’ attempt to get people to get past mere physical things. The people were interested in bread to fill their bellies. What they really needed was bread to fill their souls. They were looking to external things, when they needed to be looking inside themselves. That’s where change, healing, and nourishment truly take place. This is why Jesus told them that they needed to eat His body and drink His blood. He wasn’t speaking physically, but spiritually. They stumbled on it because they couldn’t get past mere physical things.
Getting past the physical is the same thing as dying to our flesh. Jesus’ message tells us that we need to stop worrying about physical, fleshly things and focus on the things of God, which are spiritual. He told the people, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life” (Jn. 6:27a). They still didn’t get it. They thought there was some physical thing they could do to meet God’s requirements. But Jesus told them, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” (Jn. 6:29). God’s work isn’t work at all! It is to understand and accept that we need to let go of ourselves and let God do the work, as He has promised to do.
Micah 1-2
Contrast the plans of the people of Judah with the plan of God for them. How does this affect your plans? There is a lot of word play in this prophetic poetry. It gives me the impression that at the heart of this message is God’s undoing of what man has done. What they built up will tear them down. What they trusted in will become their ruin. The disaster they planned against others will be the disaster that God executes against them. Then, at the end of all this proclaimed judgment comes an abrupt and brief promise of deliverance. So once again things get turned on their head, as the destruction God planned against His people will become their salvation.
Speaking of that promised salvation, I love the poetic description of Jesus here. “The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out.” (Mic. 2:13a).