Turning Stone to Bread

Jesus fed more than 5000 people

Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wrote the famous song “We are the World”. The song has this part: Send them your heart / so they’ll know that someone cares / and their lives will be stronger and free / As God has shown us by turning stone to bread / so we all must lend a helping hand. It is possible that Mr. Jackson and Mr. Ritchie got the inspiration for this part of the song from the following story.

One day, Jesus asked His disciples to take stones and to bring them up a hill. Peter took the smallest stone since he thought that going up a hill bringing a big stone would be a heavy burden. On the hill, Jesus prayed and turned the stones to bread. Peter was disappointed because he got the smallest bread. He ran back down the hill to take a bigger one. He showed the stone to his Master and asked Him to turn it to bread. Jesus said, “What are you doing, Peter? The time to turn stone to bread is over.” This story is not mentioned in the Bible (there is no such a story in the Bible). Jesus never turned stone to bread and will never do so. Yes, He blessed 5 loaves of bread and fed more than 5.000 people, even 12 baskets full of bread left. He performed a lot of miracles, but none of these was about turning stone to bread. The idea of turning stone to bread came from the Devil when he tempted Jesus.

People nowadays face the same temptation. People are tempted to turn stone to bread that is to get easy money. People are tempted to get as much money as possible without struggling or doing effort.

Many of us fail when we are tempted to turn stone to bread. When there is an opportunity to get easy money (by committing corruption and the like) we tend to make use of it. Why? It is because materialism has become a new modern god.

We Are the World

There comes a time when we head a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying, and it’s time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all

We can’t go on pretending day by day

That someone, somewhere, will soon make a change

We are all a part of God’s great big family

And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]

We are the world. We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let’s start giving

There’s a choice we’re making.

We’re saving our own lives

It’s true we’ll make a better day

Just you and me

Send them your heart

So they’ll know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread

So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]

We are the world. We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let’s start giving

There’s a choice we’re making

We’re saving our own lives

It’s true we’ll make a better day

Just you and me

When you’re down and out

There seems no hope at all

But if you just believe

There’s no way we can fall

Well, well, well, well, let us realize

That a change will only come

When we stand together as one

[Chorus]

We are the world. We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let’s start giving

There’s a choice we’re making

We’re saving our own lives

It’s true we’ll make a better day

Just you and me

This article is also put on Kompasiana