Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  

 

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."

 

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus  made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  he said, "He is a prophet."

 

- John 9:1–17 

 

Last week, the lectionary gave us readings from chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  In Friday's reading, we read that Jesus taught, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."   On Saturday, we read that therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  Today's reading consists of a healing which comprises the sixth sign (of seven) given in John's Gospel.  Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, my study Bible teaches, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  This man, it says, is symbolic of all humanity.  We all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Today the lectionary picks up in chapter 9 which follows the readings from chapter 8 the week before last.  (Last week the lectionary gave us John's chapter 6, centered on the second Passover given in John's gospel, and focused on Christ as the bread from heaven, featuring a eucharistic message preparing us for His sacrifice on the Cross, and the Communion which would follow in the Church.)  Chapter 8 focused on elements of Himself as light in Christ's preaching, and events at the Feast of Tabernacles, which began in chapter 7.  This setting is now the autumn of Christ's final year of His earthly life, and continues at the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Our Savior rejects the assumption -- which my study Bible says was common in the ancient world -- that all troubles and maladies are necessarily the consequence of personal sin, or even the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, it notes, this is most certainly not always the case.  In this instance, this man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed.  It was not related directly to the man's personal sins.  

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  The work that people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40), my study Bible says.  The night which follows is a reference both to the time after a person dies and also to the age to come, when there will no longer be an opportunity to express faith.  On that day, my study Bible notes, citing the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, there will not be faith, but all will submit, either willingly or unwillingly. 

 

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." The unprecedented healing of a man born blind is  confirmation of Christ's claim that He is the light of the world.  At the Feast of Tabernacles, which is now in its final, eighth day, the great lamps were lit in the courtyard of the temple.  They towered over Jerusalem, and were so bright that they lit up the city.   Jesus made this same claim at John 8:12, declaring Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  God the Father, in the Scriptures, is Himself light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), which is an attribute bestowed on followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  My study Bible cites St. Irenaeus, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Christ's reveals His divinity here by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.  

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."   My study Bible explains that the pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a considerable distance from the temple.  It notes that water was taken from this pool for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles.  Siloam, translated, Sent, is symbolic of Christ, who is the One sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  As the healing of this blind man confirmed Jesus' claim to be the light of the world (see above), so also, His making use of this pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it.  

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus  made the clay and opened his eyes.  Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  he said, "He is a prophet."   Earlier, in chapter 5 (John 5:10-16), the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic, and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath.  So, here, also, many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  

As my study Bible noted (see above), this blind man is symbolic of all humanity -- we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  It further notes that this sixth sign of seven given in John's Gospel is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  We might note how Baptism also corresponds to the use of this pool, named Siloam meaning "Sent."  So, in some sense, Christ "recreates" this man's eyes using His saliva and earth, and then the eyes of creation are washed in the waters called "Sent."  This mirrors our own "recreation," and "washing" in the waters of Holy Baptism, which do not simply cleanse but also give us a rebirth "from above" (the literal meaning of the words translated as "born again" in John 3:3).  Perhaps in this context it is highly important to take in Jesus' words regarding sin and this man born blind.  As my study Bible explained the ancient assumption that such an affliction from birth was caused by a sin of either the man himself or his parents, so Jesus dispels this notion, and gives us instead a joyful cause even for his affliction:  so "that the works of God should be revealed in him."  This is a marvel, somewhat akin to the Crucifixion, a means of death given as penalty to the worst of criminals, but used by God to instead destroy death for all of us, giving Resurrection and our capacity to participate as well in Christ's Resurrection.  This marvelous sense given to us of how God works is another sort of revelation of God's love, and stands on its head the notion of affliction merely as means of punishment for some transgression.  It also is mirrored in St. Paul's understanding of his own affliction, for which he earnestly prayed several times for relief.  St. Paul writes of the response to his prayer, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Suppose we each were to observe that our Baptism functions as a chance for God's grace to shine for us through our own afflictions in life?  Or that even God's love is present for us through all things?  We know through His life and especially through the Cross that Christ suffers with us, has chosen to be one of us in His life as incarnate Jesus.  But what if we were to understand from today's reading, and others like it (such as those we cite here) that our own occasions of suffering are meant to be occasions for inviting in the grace of God so that our own suffering is transfigured into something which has deeper meanings?  How many unfortunate circumstances may also turn into opportunities in which God's grace is sufficient for us?  If we know that God is love (1 John 4:8), that through Baptism and through our faithfulness we are adopted as God's children and "born again" in this sense, then what are the limits of healing our unfortunate and hurtful circumstances of life?  It is very important to consider that reliance upon God is much more than a simple formula for strength, but also found within a communion of love and healing, the creativity of the Creator (as expressed in the healing of the man blind from birth in today's reading), and that this is included in the Body of the Church and the communion of saints as well.  How many can testify to the power of God to heal a soul, release a burden, give renewed hope and life to those whose lives have been harmed by abuse and unfortunate choices, whether those choices are theirs or others?  Let us consider that grace works in God's way (see for example John 3:8; Isaiah 55:8-9) and not to our demands or expectations.  In fact, we might not really know what our own healing will look like. But nevertheless, we know God is always present, and grace belongs within our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

This week we have been reading chapter 6 of John's Gospel, in which the eucharistic concepts of Christ as the bread of heaven, and also the sacrifice He will make on the Cross have been introduced.  Yesterday's text told us that the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments here that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  To this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning this sacramental eating of His Body and drinking His Blood, and so do not walk in His teaching.  My study Bible further notes that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many attempt to define its nature in a rational way, or to explain away His words completely, giving them simply a metaphorical meaning.  But either extreme is dubious.  To reject this sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church through its history.  

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ as it appears in John's Gospel, within the context of other disciples turning away because of His hard saying on His Body and Blood (see above).  Let us note also the injection here of the note of betrayal, even among Christ's most intimate set of disciples, the twelve.  

For the first time in John's Gospel, the note of betrayal to come is mentioned.  Here, after a long discourse on Himself as the bread of life, and the bread which came down from heaven, Jesus finally interjects the truth about how His Crucifixion will come about -- the means by which He will give His flesh for the life of the world (see yesterday's reading, above).  Perhaps it is most noteworthy that just as other disciples desert Him for his hard saying about His Body and Blood, so it is at this time that Peter's faith is not simply crystalized, but the confession of faith (on behalf of the twelve as well) is made -- that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  John's emphasis is important and interesting.  Not only is Jesus the Son of the living God, with its emphasis on the power of life itself, but Peter's confession is also one about the very words Jesus offers to them and to the world.  His are the words of eternal life.  In the following chapter of John's Gospel, the temple officers are sent to arrest Jesus, but are unable to do so.  When asked by the religious authorities why they have failed, the officers reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  As this Gospel begins with the teaching that Jesus is Logos, the Word, so we understand that in His very words is the power of eternal life also.  As Jesus says, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak" (John 12:49-50).  The power in His very words is the power of eternal life, rooted in the Source of all, God the Father.  Let us note once again that all things are determined through our response to these words of eternal life:  just as other disciples turn away, so Peter makes his confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ.  And just as this confession is heard on behalf of the twelve, so Jesus introduces the fact of betrayal among them, calling the one who will betray him a devil, indicating that in that betrayal is the power of the spiritual forces that oppose Him.  As we go through Lent, we head toward Holy Week and the story of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord.  As Jesus informs the disciples about the betrayal to come (which they no doubt scarcely can comprehend), let us take into account what we know about that betrayal, that it is through Christ's death that the devil and death itself will be defeated, for all of us.  So let us also ponder that no circumstance can keep us from the love of God, nor from God's work in us and in the world.  Our present lectionary readings also give us selections from St. Paul's letter to the Romans.  Let us read his words:  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . .  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).  Neither will betrayal by a devil; for with God not only are all things possible, but for God's purposes all things may be used (see Romans 8:28).  When we see tribulation in our own times and in our lives, let us remember that God has a place and a way for us with which to meet all things.  We can say with St. Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him

 

 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

- John 6:52-59 

 

We are currently reading chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  The season is Passover, and it is the second year of Christ's earthly ministry given in John's Gospel.  In this chapter, the theme of Christ as the bread of life is expanded; recently Jesus has fed five thousand men (and more women and children) in the wilderness, after which they sought to force Him to be king.  This began a series of dialogue and disputes in which Jesus has been speaking of Himself as the bread of heaven.  Yesterday we read that the Jews then complained about Him, because He said "I am the bread which came down from heaven."  And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." 

 

 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."  My study Bible comments here that Christ was crucified in the flesh and His blood was shed on the Cross, and on the third day He was raised in a glorified state.  It says that we receive the grace of Christ's sacrificial offering by coming to Him in faith (verse 35) and by receiving Holy Communion in faith.  In Communion, it says, we truly eat His flesh and drink His blood, and this grants the faithful eternal life, with Christ abiding in us and us in Him, as Jesus says here.  St. Hilary of Poitiers is quoted:  "There is no room left for any doubt about the reality of His flesh and blood, because we have both the witness of His words and our own faith.  Thus when we eat and drink these elements, we are in Christ and Christ is in us."

 

"This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.  On the whole of today's passage, my study Bible comments that its eucharistic significance is indisputable.  Christ's declaration that He is Himself the living bread that gives life is a revelation of the Mystical Supper of the New Testament Church.   It notes also that John never reports the details of the Last Supper (such as the "words of institution" recorded in Luke 22:19-20).  But here, instead, he reveals the significance and truth of these events -- events which were already known to his hearers -- by reporting Christ's own words.  

Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."   As we will see, Jesus will face considerable rejection for these words (in our following reading).  Just as at that time for Jesus, perhaps Christ's words here fall on ears in our day and age that are equally as unaccepting as then.  Eat His flesh?  Drink His blood?  What kind of words are these?  Are we cannibals?  What kind of language is this for us to take in?  There are those who think these words and teachings are meant only as metaphors.  Or perhaps they are merely symbolic.  But the truth is that the mind of the Church has not accepted them in these ways, then and even now (with perhaps some dissenting in more modern times).  This is because in the mind of the New Testament Church, and right from the beginning, there was understood a mystical reality that underscored all that transpired in our faith, that these words are not meant in a simple literal sense, but in a different kind of "real" sense.  For that matter, right from the beginning, the kingdom of heaven, Christ's kingdom, was not understood as a literal earthly kingdom, but as a nevertheless "real" mystical Kingdom that is present to us.  As Jesus says, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (see Luke 17:20-21).  We should keep in mind that in the Greek, the "you" is clearly plural; this may be understood both as literally within you, but also as "among you."  It is best, in the Gospels, to take both meanings at the same time.  But this reality of the Kingdom that is within us is one that is not literally true in an earthly sense nor is it merely symbolic or metaphorical.  This is a Kingdom which is mystically present, in which we mystically participate through our faith, faithfulness, worship practices, prayer, and through following His commandments.  For we must understand that we, also, have parts of ourselves that are mystical in nature, and in living a eucharistic faith we are united body, soul, and spirit in participating in His Church and its sacraments.  It is also necessary perhaps to understand sacrifice in the ancient sense, as a communion meal -- with Christ Himself become the Passover once and for all, mystically and without limit always prepared and distributed to us for this depth of participation in His life, death, and Resurrection and in the life of the Church.  We are united to Him via this endlessly giving and unlimited sacrifice through which we abide in Him and He in us.  Jesus teaches about a mystical participation when He says, "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."  Just as we are mystically the Body of Christ in the Church, so without this understanding and perception of the mystical we will fail to understand His words and teachings and how He may live in us and we in Him.  For that takes another kind of perception, one not simply of our material senses nor simply of our intellect, but rather one which encompasses all of these and surpasses them as well.   Let us be attentive to His teachings and God's work in us.

 

 

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world

 

 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said "I am the bread which came down from heaven."  And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

 

- John 6:41–51 

 

Our current readings are in chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  This chapter has eucharistic significance, with Jesus' emphasis on Himself as the bread of life which came from heaven.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus addressed the men who had previously sought to make Him king by force, after He fed them in the wilderness.  He told them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 

 

 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said "I am the bread which came down from heaven."  And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father."  Here Jesus offers us an important statement about our own connection to God the Father.  He says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."  Significantly, He taught the same thing to the disciples upon the confession of St. Peter that Jesus is the Christ, as reported in St. Matthew's Gospel:   "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17).

 

"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."   Here, Jesus makes clear the eucharistic significance of His statements teaching that He is the bread of life, the living bread which comes down from heaven.  In our following readings, Jesus' continuing discourse will affirmatively emphasize this even more starkly.

Jesus says, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."   Here Jesus begins to make entirely clear a reference to what is coming, to His Crucifixion.  More powerfully, He makes clear that He is not simply speaking metaphorically, but even -- and additionally -- He is speaking quite literally of His flesh.  Moreover, once again, nothing which Christ does is absent from the Father -- which means that nothing is done apart from love as its basis.  That is, the love of God the Father and the love of the Son, giving His flesh for the life of the world.  As we have repeatedly emphasized over the past few readings and commentary, none of what Christ does is separable from love, and indeed, our understanding of love itself.  This is because many things may pass for love which are actually done in quite a selfish manner.   But for us to understand and to grow in learning love, it is discipleship which teaches this.  It is in John's Gospel that Jesus issues to us His final and new command, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34-35).  It is in loving one another that the world can understand that we are Christ's disciples, He says.  Here in today's reading, Jesus tells us that this love will extend to giving His flesh for the life of the world.  We know this is love because He tells us this is so.  Again, in this Gospel, He will teach us, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13).  And finally, it is also here in John's Gospel, that we have been told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  So, while Jesus begins His quite explicit discourse on Himself as the bread of life, and the powerful, visceral meaning that takes on regarding His sacrifice He will make on the Cross, and eventually in the Eucharist, let us take in today all the ways in which what He teaches conveys to us His love, and the Father's love.  For we are meant to continue in this understanding of and practice of God's love, extended through us as disciples.  For without it, He will indicate, we are not His disciples.  Let us take into account the significance of this saying and all the ways it teaches us how we are to be understood as Christians.

 

 

I am the bread of life

 

 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  

 

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  

 

"But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 

 

- John 6:27–40

 

 The events of yesterday's reading took place after Jesus fed five thousand men (and more women and children) in the wilderness, and He retreated to the mountain alone upon finding that these men wanted to take Him by force and make Him king.  When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks --- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

  "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."   Today's reading begins with Jesus' final words from yesterday's reading (above).  What does it mean to labor for the food which endures to everlasting life?  The people ask, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  And Jesus answers.  Faith, the work of faith in Jesus, is the work of God.  What does this mean?  Perhaps we should think more precisely of what it means to be faithful.  

 

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."   As we read these words, let us keep in mind that these are the same men Jesus fed in the wilderness from the few fish and barley loaves (see Monday's reading).  So these words they quote from Scripture ("as it is written") are fulfilled in Him.  They attribute this miraculous sign of the bread from heaven as a work done by Moses, and -- in a refrain heard over and over again in John's Gospel -- they demand a sign from Jesus so that they may see it and believe.    Here Jesus begins to expound on the true salvific nature of His mission and His life as Incarnate Son.  He is the bread of life; He is the bread of God who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.  

 

 "But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."  Jesus speaks of "My own will."   My study Bible comments that, since Christ has two natures, He has two wills -- the divine will and a human will.  The Sixth Ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople (AD 680-681), proclaims these two wills of Christ do not work contrary to one another, but rather "His human will follows, not resisting nor reluctant, but subject to His divinity and to His omnipotent will."  

The people know who Moses is, and they can believe in him because "it is written."  They assume that the miraculous feeding in the wilderness of the Exodus was a sign that came through him, perhaps as an effective agent.  But the comparison they're making is between Moses and Jesus.  The manna in the desert, they reckon, came from God because of Moses.  Regardless of the fact that Jesus has also provided a miraculous feeding in the wilderness, they demand a sign before they can do what He tells them is the "work of God."  They insist they can't believe in Him without a sign.  Jesus has told them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  It's worth breaking down this verb, to believe, in the Greek of the Gospel.  This verb is πιστεύω/pistevo ("I believe"), deriving from the word πιστης/pistis, meaning "trust."   So to believe, to have faith, is to trust.  Jesus is asking for trust, for their trust and for our trust.  This is not merely an intellectual acquiescence or agreement to a set of truths or beliefs.  This is about trust in a person, in a particular Person; that is, in Jesus Christ.  He Himself is the true bread from heaven, the bread of God is who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.   Questions of authority, of trust, and demanding a sign as proof before belief, will continue to plague Jesus throughout the Gospel.  Such questions began right away, after Jesus' cleansing of the temple, which in John's Gospel takes place very early in His ministry (see John 2:13-22).  These questions will continue throughout the Gospel, regardless of the seven signs He performs.  It will be because of the extraordinary nature of the final sign before Christ's Resurrection, that of raising Lazarus from the dead, that the religious authorities will unequivocally decide they must put Jesus to death.  But perhaps today's emphasis on demanding yet another sign in order to be convinced to put their trust in Him forms the basis for the best discussion in our own present moment, and the culture of the modern world.  For proofs take on a certain meaning in a modern context:  we want something to be proven to us before we can believe in it.  This comes partly from a popular mindset regarding what science does, and a mistaken assumption that we will be based in truth if we put our faith only in what has been proven.  Science works on hypothesis, a constant series of testing assumptions and positing theories, not absolute certainties.  These people who have just been miraculously fed in the wilderness, and can't seem to see the truth of it (although they wanted to make Jesus king because of it), demand signs before they will trust in Him, before they will believe.  But the signs are never enough, and belief (or faith or trust) has to come from somewhere else, from another place within us.  Because of this frame of mind, it really doesn't seem to matter what Jesus does.  Although He is united in will and action with the Father, they don't believe, they will not give their trust.  Faith is based on a different kind of knowing, a different perception.  The assertion of doubt is always possible where there is no desire to recognize the truth in front of oneself, especially spiritual truth.  This is perhaps the perfect example for our time, when every truth or assumption of history can now be turned upside down and questioned because it doesn't suit our own fancy or wishful desire.  Proofs may continually be demanded by those who want to refuse faith, but perhaps we should ask what keeps people from seeing instead.  For what Christ offers ultimately is love, and the refusal of that love is at the heart of the repeated demand for proof.

 

 

 

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. 

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks --- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

- John 6:16-27 

 

Yesterday the lectionary took us to chapter 6 of John's Gospel, with its focus on the fulfillment of the events of the Exodus and the first Passover.  We read that Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  This is the fifth of seven signs recorded in John's Gospel.  As noted in yesterday's reading and commentary, this entire chapter of John's Gospel is one that has parallels to the story of Exodus, suggesting Christ as fulfillment of the first Passover and those Old Testament events.  My study Bible comments that, in the Exodus, Moses leads the people across the Red Sea, walking on dry ground in the midst of the water (Exodus 14:15-31).  Here Christ sends His disciples across the sea, and then walks on the sea as if it were dry ground.   

 

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks --- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   Once again, these are the same people who sought to take Jesus by force and make Him king against His will in yesterday's reading (above), because they "ate of the loaves and were filled."  Here the emphasis shifts again to spiritual nurturing, what kind of food Christ has to offer, and takes on the hints of eucharistic significance.  

 

 Jesus says, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  The theme of food and of feeding will make its mark throughout this chapter of John's Gospel, just as it began with the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness (see yesterday's reading, above).  Here, Jesus makes it clear that these men seek to make Him king by force not even because of the marvelous signs He's done (signs of God's extraordinary presence among them), but simply because they were were fed ("because you ate of the loaves and were filled").  These are the not the reasons to seek Christ.  In fact, when Jesus tells them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes," this is a command, a direct command from God, a prohibition.  He then goes on to issue a positive command, to labor "for the food which endures to everlasting life."  He's teaching them what is worth making an effort for, what is worth laboring, working for.  And we should take heed that we do the same.  For Jesus has also taught us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  This is what we work for, because this sets us right in the world and with the rest of the world and all the things we need for life.  But then Jesus goes on to teach us something about this food which endures to everlasting life, for it has particular qualities and comes from a particular place for a reason.  Not just anybody can provide us with this food, but only Christ can:  ". . . which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   He is the Son of Man, a mysterious title known from the prophecy of Daniel (see Daniel 7:13), and which Jesus is teaching is Himself, Incarnate.  But there is more; that is, "because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   We modern English speakers think of a seal as that which closes up something, but that definition misses the mark here (metaphorically and literally!).  Because this seal is literally a mark, a signet, the symbol of a person's identity.  It comes from the mark a signet ring or symbol would press into sealing wax, conferring the authority of the person to whom the seal belonged or represented.  This seal from God the Father is the mark of the Father upon the Son, meaning that all the Father's authority is set upon Christ, upon the Son of Man.  Whatever this Son of Man, this Logos, the Word about whom John's Gospel is written to teach us, commands or teaches is therefore a command from God, just as a letter or communication from a king or president confers all the authority of that office upon its contents.  Therefore whatever nurturing substance Christ gives us, whatever is the food which endures to everlasting life, it does so because God the Father has set His seal upon the Son of Man.  His gift is therefore that which conveys life and death, the absolute authority of God the Father, and there is no other person or being who can do this for us.  Christ, the Son of Man, is the One who can give this to us. 

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone

 

 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  

 

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  

 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

- John 6:1–15 

 

 In our recent readings, the lectionary has taken us through chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  In that chapter, the setting is autumn of the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and while there disputed with the religious leaders in the temple.  They sought to have Him arrested, but the temple officers were so struck by Christ's words that they were unable to do so.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to the religious leaders, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

  After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Today the lectionary skips backward in John's Gospel, to chapter 6 (we'll return to begin chapter 9 next week).  This entire chapter parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several significant way.  This is the second Passover festival recorded in John's Gospel, so it is now the middle of Christ's earthly ministry; one year from this time He will make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and begin what we know as Holy Week, leading to His death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.  Here in these verses, we understand the following parallels with the Passover story:  in the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, ten gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, a great multitude followed Christ because they saw His signs, and these events take place at Passover. 

 

 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  My study Bible says that Christ is testing Philip to increase his faith here, for Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip:  he knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for over 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so offers the food brought by a certain lad.  Nonetheless, even Andrew is still weak in faith, as he questions what a mere five loaves could do for the number of people there.

 

 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.   This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of Christ's seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks  (Greek ευχαριςτω/eucharisto), and distributed them prefigures the celebration of the Eucharist. 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  My study Bible remarks that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these crowds were so desirous of an earthly Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things (see John 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, my study Bible says, He departed from them.  

I always find it intriguing that the Gospel lets us know that because Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  It tells us about the multitude (these five thousand men whom He has fed in the wilderness), and what they are looking for in a Messiah, or as they call Him, the Prophet.  It seems the time of the promised Messiah was expected to be a period of prosperity, at least a time of foreign rule to be overthrown, and a return to the time of the kingdom of David.  Certainly these men, we're told, sought to force Jesus to be king because of this great sign of the miraculous feeding in the wilderness.  As we go farther along into chapter 6, not only will events mirror the story of Exodus, as we read in today's commentary from my study Bible, but the theme of feeding, and its fulfillment in the Eucharist will play a very strong role in what Jesus will preach to the people.  This effort to take Jesus by force to make Him king also reveals to us much about Jesus.  He doesn't want a title or an honor because of His miracles;  the signs that are given to us in the Gospel are meant to convey a different message.  His is not a position merely of authority or power in a worldly sense, but they are meant to point to something greater which is beyond the immediate worldly circumstances.  They point to God, and to the presence of God, and God's love for God's people.  For this is the real message of Christian faith.  It is in John's Gospel that we're told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  While we know a great deal of emphasis on the saving mission of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are inclined to overlook the first part of this verse that teaches us emphatically about God's love for us.  This feeding miracle in the wilderness (in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, there is an additional miraculous feeding of four thousand) teaches us about God's love in the very gesture of hospitality and care it represents and conveys.  The miracle, of course, is in multiplying the loaves and the fish, something only the Creator could do; it is the sign of God's presence in an extraordinary sense.  Of course, the Eucharistic significance is there also, tying in both the Passover and the Eucharist to come in which all is fulfilled in Christ, who feeds us today in the same extraordinary and holy way.  That He refuses to be made king is simply an affirmation of the motivation of God's love behind all things He does, including His care and feeding in the wilderness, and this message of love present in today's reading and this fourth sign in the Gospel.  But what does one want when one gives love?  Do we want worldly glory and fame, a kind of adoration based on what we can do for others?  Or is love a language and communication of something completely different?  Love asks and awaits for love in return, for this is what communion is all about.  Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, in which the prodigal's father simply awaits his return to be a joyous reunion, God asks us for love in return, but does not coerce nor command it from us, for that's not how love works.  Let us ponder this great mystery, as we follow Christ returning alone to the mountaintop.