The food which endures to everlasting life

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

In yesterday's reading, we read of the feeding of five thousand on the mountain, the fourth sign or miracle (of seven) in John's Gospel. See Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat? Today, Jesus continues his teachings to those who were fed, and we read of the fifth sign in John's Gospel.

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. My study bible notes that, "This, the fifth of Christ's miracles reported by John, reenacts ancient Israel's passage through the Red Sea. Moses led the old Israel through the sea to liberty. Christ walks on top of the water and leads His disciples over the sea to the land where they were going (v. 21). Christ's walking on the sea (v. 19) is a sign of His lordship over creation." In other Gospel versions, this is a powerfully frightening scene: it is very early morning, in great darkness, and the wind proves difficult for the apostles - they strain to row the boat, and they are without Jesus. In the darkest part of early morning hours, alone at sea and fighting to row against the wind, they see Him walking on the water. Perhaps it is a spirit, a ghost - and then He seems to want to walk past them. It's a very affecting scene. I think it's telling that it comes so soon after the feeding of the five thousand, and connected to Jesus' refusal to be made king. Jesus is not in the world to care for our every day needs and make all difficulties immediately disappear. He is in the world to make a connection with us in faith; He is there when we call on Him to help us through the difficulties and especially our fears - and be with us, just as He will endure and take on the difficulties of the world with us. Immediately they are on the land where they were going - with God we are on solid ground. Of course, this is the sign or miracle of God's full presence, as my study bible notes: His power over nature, over creation. But when we confront our fears and anxieties, it is this power with us that can feel as if we are immediately restored to the solid ground we seek - and we can face our situation armed with this strength.

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. In some sense, we view Jesus' walking on the water as a way to avoid this crowd, so that they could not pursue Him. It's not the first, nor is it the last time that Jesus will evade those who seek Him for one false reason or another.

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." My study bible notes, "The multitude had continued to pursue Jesus in the hope that He might miraculously solve all of their earthly problems as He had miraculously provided them with food. He tries to turn their minds to spiritual concerns, telling them not to labor for perishable food but for the food of eternal life, which is available in the Son of Man. He does not chide them for seeking and working, but for pursuing temporary satisfaction rather than eternal fulfillment."

I think it's important that Jesus says to them, "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." We note the importance of seeing the signs - that is, the miracle that points to the presence of God the Father at work, the spiritual reality in the works. The signs point to that reality behind the worldly reality those who witness the miracles see on worldly terms. They want the food Jesus has given them on material terms, not the keys to the heavenly kingdom present in the signs; they don't understand the miraculous feeding as a sign pointing to something greater. "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." We return to the life in Christ that is promised, and again to the relationship to the Father. The seal of the Father is His Name, just as one would have understood the seal of the emperor to mean that anything the seal was set upon was in the name of the emperor. They are to see the signs of the bread as pointing to the Father at work in all that is in His Name; this name is the seal set upon Christ.

For what do you give thanks in your life? Do we understand the help we receive and whence it comes? Can we live in communion with that love that is received from Christ and the Father, through the Spirit at work in our lives? Most importantly, when we pray, do we understand all the powerful reality we are calling upon and with which we are in communion? I think that, speaking for myself, I often don't quite understand at all what Majesty is present, connected to me through prayer. "The still small voice" in our hearts, in the secret place, feels so intimate and tender. But the truth is that grace connects us with the great power behind all of creation; the Majesty even of the Father is with us even in those most intimate moments of prayer. On human terms, this is impossible to understand. But the great majesty of God does not exist on our terms; even the Trinity is with each one of us in our most intimate times of prayer. And this is how we know love, that we are loved. Jesus will teach that it is all in all - as we are connected to Him so we are connected to the Father and the Spirit, and to one another. Let that love fulfill your understanding of prayer, and let it be with you in times of fear. It is the root of courage and strength, the opening to a different life than the limitations produced by the fears we learn in our lives. It opens the door to the possibilities inherent in all situations, that we may not see from the fears by which we sometimes may find ourselves overwhelmed. It is faith in that love that leads us ahead to the life He has in mind for us. Our Evangelist will write: "Love has been perfected among us in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." When we come to know God as love, it is our fear of punishment or torment that dissolves. But for this, we first need to find that communion to know that relationship of Love. Jesus told Philip, "Follow me." And this is how we follow, learning love from this relationship. It is the quality of the heavenly kingdom, the key to the everlasting life.