Man does not live on bread alone. Bread is necessary, but in order to sustain true life, mankind must live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
They sit at the bar
And put bread in my jar
And say, “Man what are you doing here?”
The lyrics occur in Billy Joel’s ballad about a man who plays the piano in a piano bar. In this song, Joel sings of sadness, loneliness and broken dreams of being a star. Apparently the patrons think he should be.
Listen to “The Piano Man”
The “jar” of which he sings, is a jar sitting on the piano, put there on purpose to collect tips. The patrons who like the piano man’s music, drop bills, or “bread” in the jar. It is from this “bread,” and the small stipend the bar provides, that pays his bills.
Then there is the bread that we eat. It is from this bread that the piano man’s money derives its name. Of course, bread is necessary. In this life. In life on earth. We couldn’t live if we didn’t eat. And if Jesus was hungry after his resurrection, (which we may safely assume that he was), maybe we will need a little bread in eternity as well.
But this hardly the point. Jesus was concerned about true life here. Absolute life. Life that cannot be diminished. Not by broken dreams. Not by hunger. Not by death. Not by anything.
That kind of life comes only from the Word of God. Note the capitalization. The “Word of God,” is not only the Bible; in fact it is not even primarily the Bible. The Word of God is Jesus, himself. He, and he alone has shown us the Father. He, and he alone, gives true life.
Feast your heart on Jesus, and true life, absolute, irreducible, eternal life – is yours.
Bread in your jar.
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