Is it real or pretend?

Sometimes, though, you say, "I'm a big boy!" and people think you're pretending. "No," they say, "you're a little boy." Then you get angry. You ARE a big boy, not a baby! Why can't they see that?

Jesus was probably great at pretending -- but He would also understand why you get mad that people don't understand you're not pretending! In this week's Gospel (John 6:41-51), we hear about one time when Jesus wasn't pretending.

"I am the bread that came down from heaven," Jesus said. The people answered, "You're a person, and you're from this town, not heaven!" But Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. People who believe me will follow my Father and live forever with God in heaven."

When Jesus said He was the "bread of life from heaven," people thought He was pretending -- or crazy. After all, they said, a person can't be bread! Besides, they knew Jesus, so how could He be from heaven? They said He was just being silly.

If you're not pretending, it hurts when grownups think you are. If you say you're a big boy, you really mean it. You're not grown up yet, but you ARE a lot bigger than you used to be.

Jesus wasn't pretending, either. He called Himself the "bread of life from heaven" because when we eat bread, it becomes part of us. Just like that, Jesus wanted to live in our hearts and be part of us. And He really did come from heaven, because He was God!

Pretending is fun. But when you're not pretending, one person will always believe you: Jesus. He knows the difference between pretend and real!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me have fun pretending -- and remember that you're real! Amen.