Manna in the Desert
We have God supplying manna and quail for the Israelites in the desert. While the people are in the desert after the Exodus, they murmur against God, accusing him of murderous plans by means of starvation. God responds, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion…” (Exodus 16:4) During the feast of Passover, the year before the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper, Jesus says, “…it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven…I am the bread of life…” (John 6: 32, 35). It is no coincidence that “the Jews murmured about him” just as they did in Moses’ day (John 6:41). In the Eucharist, we know that the bread becomes Jesus’ flesh for the life of the world (cf. John 6:33). The Israelites were to eat the flesh, and be filled with bread. In receiving the Eucharist, we, too, must believe Jesus’ words, “Whoever comes to me will never hunger” (John 6:35).
Manna in the Desert – “Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes done from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world." - John 6: 49
The manna was tied in with Jewish expectations of the Messiah. It's the food of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, the food for the journey. It stops once they arrive in the Promised Land (Exodus 16:35). And significantly, this food comes down from Heaven (Psalm 78:24), and it's the food of angels (Psalm 78:25). In the New Testament, Christ is clearly presented as the New Manna. For example, in John 6:48-51, Jesus declares: I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
And in the Lord's Prayer, we're to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Mt. 6:11). That immediately sounds like the manna. Instead of asking for our bread for "this day," or our "daily bread," we're asking for our daily bread this day. It's strangely redundant. It turns out that the Greek word here for "daily" is a neologism -- we know of no use of it prior to Mt. 6:11 itself. And it turns out that it literally means "super-substantial." So a more accurate translation would be like St. Jerome's translation of these words into Latin, in which we ask for our daily, supersubstantial Bread. That makes clear that the new Manna we're to eat is supernatural food.
Manna in the Desert – “Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes done from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world." - John 6: 49
The manna was tied in with Jewish expectations of the Messiah. It's the food of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, the food for the journey. It stops once they arrive in the Promised Land (Exodus 16:35). And significantly, this food comes down from Heaven (Psalm 78:24), and it's the food of angels (Psalm 78:25). In the New Testament, Christ is clearly presented as the New Manna. For example, in John 6:48-51, Jesus declares: I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
And in the Lord's Prayer, we're to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" (Mt. 6:11). That immediately sounds like the manna. Instead of asking for our bread for "this day," or our "daily bread," we're asking for our daily bread this day. It's strangely redundant. It turns out that the Greek word here for "daily" is a neologism -- we know of no use of it prior to Mt. 6:11 itself. And it turns out that it literally means "super-substantial." So a more accurate translation would be like St. Jerome's translation of these words into Latin, in which we ask for our daily, supersubstantial Bread. That makes clear that the new Manna we're to eat is supernatural food.
