--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The main thing that distinguishes…" description: "\"“The main thing that distinguishes mealtimes with Jesus, as Conrad Gempf has shown, from the meals of his contemporaries are four verbs.[44] Whether it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/leonard-sweet-10435_black-church_the-main-thing-that-distinguishes-mealti_1013192.jpg" --- # The main thing that distinguishes mealtimes with Jesus, as… ![“The main thing that distinguishes mealtimes with Jesus, as Conrad Gempf has shown, from the meals of his contemporaries are four verbs.[44] Whether it’s the feeding of the five thousand, the Last Supper, or the Emmaus meal, four things take place: First, Jesus takes something. Second, Jesus…” quote by Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/leonard-sweet-10435_black-church_the-main-thing-that-distinguishes-mealti_1013192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/leonard-sweet-10435_black-church_the-main-thing-that-distinguishes-mealti_1013192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/leonard-sweet-10435_black-church_the-main-thing-that-distinguishes-mealti_1013192.jpg) > ““The main thing that distinguishes mealtimes with Jesus, as Conrad Gempf has shown, from the meals of his contemporaries are four verbs.\[44\] Whether it’s the feeding of the five thousand, the Last Supper, or the Emmaus meal, four things take place: First, Jesus takes something. Second, Jesus blesses what he takes. Third, Jesus breaks what he has blessed. Fourth, Jesus gives away what he has broken, to be a miracle in the lives of others. First, Jesus takes something. It doesn’t matter what it is. No matter how meager or damaged or out-of-touch it is, it comes to life at the touch of God. Second, Jesus blesses what he takes. You never get a blessing for yourself. You get a blessing to bless others. In the words of the black church, “a blessing can’t get to you unless it first can go through you.” We are blessed to bless. Third, Jesus breaks what he has blessed. The word company derives from Latin words cum and pane, meaning “breaking bread together.” Companion means “the one who brings the bread along,” a community of broken people breaking bread together.\[45\] Every day I make plans to live forever, but bless everyone I meet that day as having one broken thing in common: the life we soon must lose. Fourth, Jesus gives away what is broken. For Jesus it is not enough to be creative and witty and wise in oneself. Are you the cause of creativity and wit and wisdom in others? Just as we are blessed as we bless, we are fed as we feed. At the table we feed others the Bread of Life to be fed the Bread of Life. The more we give, the more we receive. Of course, these four verbs become one in Jesus himself, who is the Bread, blessed, broken, and bestowed. Some of Jesus’ followers thought he came to give bread to them like manna in the desert. The truth was Jesus came to be bread for them—and for us.”” [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus models a cycle of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving, showing that sharing and transforming what we have leads to communal miracles. **In simple terms:** Jesus shows that taking, blessing, breaking, and giving creates community miracles. Key Takeaway Practice sharing and transforming what you have. Themes community faith generosity transformation miracle Mood reflective inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - church services - family meals - charitable events - small group gatherings Key Concepts theology symbolism ritual sacraments Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply these four verbs in daily life? - What does “breaking” mean for you? A Different Perspective May focus on personal gain rather than communal benefit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-church/) [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Bread of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread-of-life/) [Breaking Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-bread/) [Broken People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-people/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Last supper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-supper/) [Latin Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-words/) [Live forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-forever/) [Lives of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-of-others/) [Wit and wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit-and-wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [I wish this year, baby Jesus blesses you and your loved ones abundantly. 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He becomes, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-mauriac/the-man-who-partakes-in-the-breaking-of-the-bread-dares-to-build-his/) [Francois Mauriac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-mauriac/) > [“Prayer: This can be any daily silent practice or meditation. • Work: This becomes part of a balanced life. It cannot be the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-taplin/prayer-this-can-be-any-daily-silent-practice-or-meditation-work-this/) [Jonathan Taplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-taplin/) > [There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. 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The Bible knows nothing about solo ministry, only team ministry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/jesus-invested-everything-he-had-in-a-team-the-bible-knows-nothing/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [It would not do for the consumer to know that the hamburger she is eating came from a steer who spent much of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/it-would-not-do-for-the-consumer-to-know-that-the-hamburger-she-is/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [“Got some conflicted relationships—people who have attacked you and hurt you, whose very presence causes gruff intestinal rumble? The table reduces fighting. It has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/got-some-conflicted-relationships-people-who-have-attacked-you-and/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [When I was learned, knowledge was everything. Now that I'm a learner, kindness is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/when-i-was-learned-knowledge-was-everything-now-that-i-m-a-learner/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [“If work really were such a good thing, then the rich would surely have found a way to keep it for themselves. HAITIAN PROVERB”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/if-work-really-were-such-a-good-thing-then-the-rich-would-surely-have/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [One can be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ without denying the flickers of the sacred in followers of Yahweh, or Kali, or Krishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/one-can-be-a-faithful-disciple-of-jesus-christ-without-denying-the/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [The church must provide postmoderns with an alternity of rituals by which they can turn and tune to one another and feel connected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-church-must-provide-postmoderns-with-an-alternity-of-rituals-by/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) [Explore all 65 Leonard Sweet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) ## More Black church quotes > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Jeremiah Wright is one of the greatest prophetic preachers that black America has produced. 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Second, Jesus blesses what he takes. You never get a blessing for yourself. You get a blessing to bless others. In the words of the black church, “a blessing can’t get to you unless it first can go through you.” We are blessed to bless. Third, Jesus breaks what he has blessed. The word company derives from Latin words cum and pane, meaning “breaking bread together.” Companion means “the one who brings the bread along,” a community of broken people breaking bread together.[45] Every day I make plans to live forever, but bless everyone I meet that day as having one broken thing in common: the life we soon must lose. Fourth, Jesus gives away what is broken. For Jesus it is not enough to be creative and witty and wise in oneself. Are you the cause of creativity and wit and wisdom in others? Just as we are blessed as we bless, we are fed as we feed. At the table we feed others the Bread of Life to be fed the Bread of Life. The more we give, the more we receive. Of course, these four verbs become one in Jesus himself, who is the Bread, blessed, broken, and bestowed. Some of Jesus’ followers thought he came to give bread to them like manna in the desert. 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