Micah 5:2 (NIV)
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…”
When Rev. Phillips Brooks penned these opening words to his familiar Christmas carol in 1865, Bethlehem was still a “little town,” just as the prophet Micah described it. Today, however, it boast a population of almost 30,000 people. Under the control of the Palestinian Authority, Bethlehem lies within the West Bank, about 6 miles south of Jerusalem.
A representative from a Christian community center in Bethlehem visited a local church in my area of Virginia this past November. He described modern Bethlehem as an interesting mixture of Muslim and Christian cultures. Though there used to be a thriving Arab Christian population in Bethlehem, it now has a predominantly Muslim population, with the Christian population dwindling steadily in recent years. (In my own research, I was surprised to learn that Jewish people are currently not allowed to live in Bethlehem.)
Tourism is a big part of the economy of Bethlehem, primarily because it is the birthplace of Jesus. There is a long history of artisans who intricately carve olive wood into pieces of art depicting scenes from the birth of Christ. The gentleman who spoke at the church I visited had brought many beautiful olive wood ornaments and nativities to sell in support of their Christian center. He said many people are in need of help right now. As you can imagine, the war in the region has had a big impact on all kinds of tourism in the area, including in Bethlehem. The ongoing conflict has also affected the occupations of the Arab population in Bethlehem who used to work in Israel. With such needs, the Christian community center is seeking to help the people of Bethlehem with activities to encourage the children and helping them with school supplies and meals. Bethlehem means “House of Bread” in Hebrew. And I was glad to hear that even in these days the need for food is being met by these Arab brothers and sisters in Christ.
Bethlehem was perhaps called the “House of Bread” because of the wheat and barley that was grown there in ancient times. Most of us will be familiar with the love story of Ruth and Boaz which takes place in Bethlehem during the wheat and barley harvests. Ruth, a poor Moabite widow supporting her Jewish mother-in-law, finds comfort in Bethlehem and in the God of the Israelites. She entered Bethlehem poor and needy, yet by the end of the story God had blessed her abundantly. God provides for her an abundance of food, a good husband, and eventually a son who becomes the grandfather of King David.
Centuries later, someone else from the line of Ruth is born in Bethlehem. It is Jesus. He is born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet Micah foretold. He came for all people, both Jew and Gentile. And He called Himself the “Bread of Life.”
John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
When Jesus made this declaration, it was several days after He miraculously fed 5000 people with fish and barley bread by multiplying a young boy’s donated lunch. The people kept asking Him to prove He was the Messiah by giving them more bread. But He had already proven to them that He could meet their physical needs. He wanted them to take notice of their poverty of spirit. They had spiritual needs, too, that they were neglecting. And He is the source for meeting their spiritual needs, as well.
When our physical body needs food, we can tell because we are hungry. Signs that our body is not getting the right nourishment it needs can be loss of weight, failure to thrive, and weakness. But what about our spirit? What are signs that our spirit needs nourishment? Perhaps they are lack of peace, lack of purpose, feeling unloved, unseen, unknown, or having no connection with God. Perhaps it is seen in our anxiety, anger, and frustration, our lack of grace and our lack of love.
Right now our world is showing a lot of signs of a hungry spirit.
But here is Jesus, the Creator and source for meeting our spiritual needs, saying: “I am the Bread of Life,” the nourishment that feeds your soul and spirit. He has a never ending supply of everything your spirit needs to thrive and grow.
But how do we come to Him? It really may not be that much different than how people came to him while he was here on earth. What did they do? They sought him out. They went to where he was. They talked with him. They listened to what he had to say. And they spent time with Him.
In our lives, that may look like reading the Bible, praying, and gathering with others to learn about God. He can teach us how to live in the way God intended for us to live, in a way that is better for us and our world. And if we receive Him as our Savior, He promises to give us His Holy Spirit to live within us, who will be our Counselor and Guide. He helps us to put into practice the things that we are learning in the Bible. And that is how we grow in Christ. And just like you eat food and drink water each day for your physical body, you need to nourish and feed your soul each day, as well.
John 6:45 (NIV) “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.” John 6:33 (WEB) “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
This Christmas season, when you think of the little town of Bethlehem, the House of Bread, remember Jesus, the Bread of Life, who came for Jew and Gentile alike. He came to save us from our sins. He came to give us new life in Him. He came to be the Bread of Life for all the world. I pray that you will find great peace in your soul through Him. And I pray that one day there will be great peace in Bethlehem and in all the land of Israel, and in our world, as well.
Isaiah 54:13 (NIV) “All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.”
If you would like to help the Hope Community Center mentioned in this article, you can find out more by going to www.hopecommunitycenter.org
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