I recently visited the church I served for 16 years and ran into a young woman who had been a child when I was there. She and my daughter were friends and often hung around after church to help clean up. She smiled as she shifted her new baby to her other hip and told me she remembered how much she loved helping me clean up communion, since they got to finish all the bread that was left over. Because the elements had been consecrated at the altar, we had a practice of either eating the rest of it or offering it to the birds outside the sacristy door. Our holy bread was never thrown away. When the communion coordinator switched to Hawaiian Bread, the birds got left out. I had more kids helping “clean up” than I needed! A wonderful core memory was made for all of them, and many of them still worship in that church today as adults.

In our Scripture today, David is on the run from Saul, who has descended into a delusional paranoia and is out to have David killed. David knew where to go when he was in trouble. He went straight to the house of God and sought the assistance from the priest Ahimelech. He told a lie to get in, though, by pretending that he was on the king’s mission rather than running for his life away from the king.

1 Samuel 21 (Common English Bible)

21 David came to Nob where Ahimelech was priest. Ahimelech was shaking in fear when he met David. “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” he asked.

² David answered Ahimelech the priest, “The king has given me orders, but he instructed me, ‘Don’t let anyone know anything about the mission I’m sending you on or about your orders.’ As for my troops, I told them to meet me at an undisclosed location.³ Now what do you have here with you? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever you can find.”

David knew that the Tabernacle had a table that held 12 loaves of “show bread” that was a symbol of God’s continuing fellowship with Israel. “Show Bread” is also known as the “bread of faces” or the “bread of presence.” It was to be eaten in front of God as a guest and friend of God’s hospitality. It was typically consumed by the priests, but Ahimelech offered the bread to David because he and his troops were hungry. But first the priest inquired about the ceremonial cleanliness of the troops, as this was holy bread and not to be consumed casually. David assured them that none of them had been with women while on their holy mission, and so the bread was given. This brings up a question for us today. Do you prepare yourself for communion by cleansing yourself of your sins first? Do you offer confession and pray for forgiveness? So often the ritual overtakes us and communion just becomes something we do on the first Sunday of the month.

So the priest gave David holy bread, because there was no other bread except the bread of the presence, which is removed from the Lord’s presence and replaced by warm bread as soon as it is taken away.

Jesus mentioned David eating the showbread when he and his disciples were criticized by the Pharisees for plucking and eating raw grain on the sabbath. In Matthew 12, he reminded the Pharisees that the priests carry out their Temple duties on Sabbath just as any other day and are still innocent.

We are reminded in this passage today that meeting human needs as they arise is more important than adhering to religious observances and rituals. Eating together, especially when people are truly hungry and need to be fed, is the way we form bonds of friendship that are sacred and can become permanent. Like the young mother who was back in church with her child remembering the sweet flavor of left-over communion, we can make life-long connections with people over a shared morsel. How will you share your bread with someone today?

Show Bread by Becca Ziegler