Daily Bread
Daily Bread
Stop.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and put your hands over your heart. Say the words of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Repeat as often as you need.
Listen.
This I well know, that if it were Christ or his mother who were laid low by illness, everybody would be so solicitous and would gladly become a servant or helper. Everyone would want to be bold and fearless; nobody would flee but everyone would come running. And yet they don’t hear what Christ himself says, “As you did to one of the least, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40). – Martin Luther, “Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague”, 1527
Reflect.
This week, we are reflecting on Martin Luther’s letter to a church and its leader in Breslau, Germany in 1527 regarding the Christian’s responsibility in the middle of a plague. This letter was printed in Christianity Today in May of 2020. To read Luther’s letter, you can visit: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/may-web-only/martin-luther-plague-pandemic-coronavirus-covid-flee-letter.html
Luther’s point here is clear: if you want to serve your Savior, you will serve your neighbor. But not merely your neighbor with whom you agree, or who you find palatable, or your neighbor who acts or lives in a way you prefer – your neighbor in need, especially your neighbor in the greatest need.
In his letter, Luther contends that you can know exactly where someone’s love and reverence for Jesus stands in the way they treat others. Jesus’ commands to love and serve the neighbor are so deep, and backed up by so much of scripture, that a Christian could never say they love Jesus without living it. Luther even says, “Those are nothing but illusions on your part which puff you up with vain pride, namely, that you would really serve Christ if he were there in person.”
It’s a humbling accusation. Claiming faith in Jesus without meaningful, even sacrificial love for your neighbor means you’re just looking for attention and affirmation. Faith moves us to action.
Luther’s words get increasingly polemic as his letter progresses. He does not hesitate to call people murderers, tools of the devil, or worse for their unwillingness to care for themselves and others during a deadly plague. It is obvious that he gets angry at those who won’t answer God’s call to care for the bodies and health God has given them and, still more, care for their neighbors equally well. It can make his words hard to hear.
Still, we would do well to hear his words even with his challenging tone. He’s not saying anything we don’t pray regularly. When we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread”, we ask God to give us enough for today. That means our needs aren’t greater than another’s needs. It means that we might be how others get what they need. It means God alone provides and it isn’t for us to hoard for ourselves and deny to others. In other words: because we trust God to give us what we need today, we are freed to love and serve our neighbor selflessly today.
May this call inspire you as you choose how to live out your faith for the good of others today.
Pray.
God, you have given me everything I need. Make me into the means for others to receive those same gifts. Free me from pride, selfishness, and fear so I might truly serve you through faithful acts. Amen.
Carry On.
What needs are most pressing in your community today? Which ones do you find hardest to understand or find compassion for? What do you need to show God’s love in that area today?