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

In this section of John's Gospel, we have just read about Jesus' feeding of five thousand men on the mountaintop. They wanted to make Jesus their king, but He eluded them. While his disciples went into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, Jesus went alone back to the mountaintop. In the night, as the disciples crossed the Sea, the wind blew, and it was so rough they feared they would perish. There was Jesus, walking on the water to them. He said, "It is I; be not afraid." Then He got into the boat, and they were on land at Capernaum, toward which they'd been rowing. The crowd followed the disciples to Capernaum, and when they saw Jesus they wondered how He had arrived there. Jesus told them they sought Him not because they saw His sign of feeding in the wilderness, but because they were filled. In yesterday's reading, He told them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life." What is that work, they asked Him. Jesus told them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom he sent." They asked what sign He would do, so that they would believe, and spoke of the manna from heaven given their ancestors. He said, "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." They asked to have this bread. Jesus told 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 they don't believe. He told them, "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'?" We remember John's Gospel refers generally to the religious leadership when the term "the Jews" is used. Here, Jesus is speaking in the synagogue at Capernaum, His Galilean headquarters. His relations and family connections are scattered throughout Galilee (we've read about the wedding in Cana, where Jesus' first sign was performed), so perhaps these are familiar with His family. Galilee is His "home country." John has already told us earlier in the Gospel, as Jesus made His way toward Galilee, For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

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." Again, Jesus refers to those whom the Father will gather to Him. It is an interesting and powerful affirmation that somehow, though we ourselves have not seen the Father, the Father is at work in us, and leads us to the Son. The words Jesus quotes are from Isaiah.

"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." Again, Jesus repeats, that those who "work the work of faith" have everlasting life; they are gathered to Him in spirit and truth and will be raised with Him. The manna in the wilderness did not give eternal life. But, here He repeats again, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven." Not only are we led by the Father, but Christ Himself will become a part of us; as we abide in Him, so He will abide in us, and raise those given to Him with Himself.

"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, the powerful Eucharistic significance is unmistakable, as is the reference to the Cross. He has told Nicodemus, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Here, He affirms in yet another way His gift to the world. He will give His whole life, for the life of the whole world. My study bible says, "His offering is not for His people only but for the life of the world."

We learn of layers upon layers of intersecting relationships in this passage. The Father will lead those toward Christ that are His own. He speaks of Isaiah's prophecy, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God'" and refers to "everyone who has heard and learned from the Father" -- these will come to Him. He is the bread from heaven; He knows and has seen the Father, their wills are united. But we too in some sense have learned from the Father, and we are drawn to Christ by the Father. We will abide in God as Father and Son also are "at work" in us. And this is part of the "work" or labor of faith that Jesus referred to in the readings of the past two days. The interrelationship of the "work" of faith extends back and forth through Father and Son and also through us. This is His testimony. Ultimately, the message reaches us here, Jesus will give His life for us, and not only "us" but more -- for the life of the world. He will be raised on the Cross so that we may be raised. His whole life may be poured into us as we give ourselves to Him. Jesus' I AM here is an echo again of God in the desert, leading ancient Israel through Moses. But here, again, this living bread is for the life of the whole world, all that is, all of creation. The word in Greek is kosmos. That "world" in its fullness is unimaginable to us; it's given without limit. It's not the people standing before Him, it's not only their kin and who they know, it's not only for those of His time but for all time. There are no limits on this kosmos. The bread He gives is His eternal sacrifice, which He gives for the life of the world, an eternal gift for an eternal life. Those who will "all be taught by God," "everyone who has heard and learned from the Father" is not limited. Let us remember that God's abundance, this living bread, is unlimited. It is a gift in scope for the life of the world, the kosmos for as long as the kosmos exists, an eternal gift. It is a faith of worship in spirit and truth, unlimited by both time and space. Can we doubt this abundance that may be present for our life? We can't set limits on it. Let us look again to the sign of the loaves and fishes, and remember they all ate until they were filled, with twelve baskets left over so that nothing was lost.

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

Last week, we read John's account of the feeding of five thousand men on the mountain top. Then, the Gospel tells us, Jesus went up alone to the mountaintop to elude the crowd that wanted to make Him king, while the disciples went into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. As they rowed in the dark and got into the middle of the lake, the wind was blowing fiercely; the sea was so rough they were afraid of drowning. Suddenly they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water, and they were more afraid! Jesus said, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and were immediately on the land where they were headed. But the next day, all the people from the crowd (who wanted to make Him king) had followed the disciples across the Sea and found Jesus there in Capernaum. They wondered how He came to be there. Jesus told them 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."

"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." I included these verses with Saturday's commentary because they are so essential to the gospel. John's Gospel, first of all, works this way so often -- Jesus takes people's ordinary assumptions, and develops ideas as He expands beyond what they know or understand (such as with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well). These people were fed in the wilderness, and afterward wanted to make Jesus king. But here He teaches: what they must seek after is the food that endures to everlasting life, like the water that springs to everlasting life He spoke of to the Samaritan woman in the reading noted above. He also indicates another sign of divinity for Himself: He calls Himself the Son of Man, and notes "the Father has set His seal on Him." A seal denotes a name, a name of a house, such as a royal house and all that is a part of it; anything on which the seal is found bears the presence of its head, the head of the house. We also have to take a look at the meaning behind the phrase, "the bread which perishes" because it plays a role in the whole story of the feeding in the wilderness and these subsequent passages. It is linked to Jesus' statement to His disciples after the feeding: "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." The same Greek word is used for both "perishes" (in today's reading) and "lost" in the earlier; it indicates a kind of perdition, a loss that is absolute, such as the loss of a soul -- and so compliments as a counterpoint the bread that is eternal, everlasting. In this we can also read the depth of the link to Eucharist and to faith.

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." Here is the question: how do they work this work? How do they, in effect, labor for the food which endures to everlasting life? And the answer is here, in plain language. The way of this labor is through faith.

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." Jesus has already performed a sign in the feeding of these people on the mountain top. But all they focused on was the idea that Jesus should be king, that He would solve all their problems for them. Now they wish to be convinced in the new way He teaches, of spiritual labor. But His reply is complete, in the sense that He is complete. The true bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.

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." Again, Jesus begins to tell of the work of faith. This crowd still does not believe in spirit and truth, in the way the Father is seeking, of those for whom Jesus has been sent. Here, Jesus indicates a further depth between Father and Son that also works in us -- what the Father gives to Him will come to Him, and the one who comes to Him He will by no means cast out. Therefore, faith becomes the fundamental work that leads to eternal life. His will is united with the Father's; what the Father desires is His desire -- therefore the ones who come to Him are also linked, related through faith, to both Father and Son.

"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." Again, the word for "lose" here is the same as in the reason to gather the fragments of bread on the mountain top, and the word for "perish" as in the bread that perishes. We link it to the loss of absolute life, the soul. Of all the Father has given Him, none should be lost, but rather raised at the last day, to eternal life. This is how the basic work of God is the labor of faith. We "abide in Him" -- the true Sabbath rest -- and His gift is of life. God's gift, as John will teach (in tomorrow's reading), is for the life of the world.

How many ways may we understand what it means that this eternal life is in Christ, that we are linked to it through the labor of faith, Father and Son and Spirit at work in us? Life is given in so many ways. But perhaps our primary understanding of "life" -- from today's passage -- must be that life that is within us through faith, the faith that leads us forward. One of my favorite statements in all of Scripture comes from St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. Of ourselves, we are imperfect and "weak" beings. Faith is not about what we do, except that we say "yes" - we "rest" in God. In Saturday's reading, the disciples were absolutely frightened of perishing, when Christ appeared to them, and said, "It is I; do not be afraid." This is the word of God, the "I AM" here in the Greek, and God's address in the midst of our weakness, our fear. To find the faith to believe "Do not be afraid" in the midst of our weakness, human fear, is to be led onward with God's strength through our own weakness. Let us consider this work of faith, the labor for the food which leads to eternal life, and consider this daily struggle. He comes to us (I AM, "It is I"), and we struggle for faith ("Do not be afraid"), to believe. His presence will always challenge us in the face of what we think we know, that which perishes. Can we work the work of faith?

"It is I, do not be afraid"

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.

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." 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."

- John 6:16-27 (28, 29)

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had crossed over the Sea of Galilee. He was followed by many people because of the signs He had performed on those who were diseased (such as the paralytic man in the readings of the past week). Jesus went up a mountain and sat with His disciples, but the crowds followed. He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" The sum would be huge to feed so many -- five thousand men. Andrew said, "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." 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. Jesus told them to gather up the fragments, so that nothing was lost, and they gathered twelve baskets full of the fragments of the barley loaves. Then the people, having been fed, 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. We begin today's reading by including the last verse from yesterday's. The people understand Jesus to be a holy man, but they misunderstand Him and His mission. They expect the Prophet of Deuteronomy to be a worldly political leader, like Moses, leading them from bondage to the Romans. But Jesus is not this leader; He has said of Himself quite different things, with spiritual gifts to offer, and seeking those who will worship God in spirit and truth. My study bible says, "Because He is not to fulfill these expectations, Jesus withdraws from the crowd." John once again teaches through the people's misunderstanding and limited expectation.

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. In this incident, reported also in other Gospels, we get the strange and intriguing picture of Jesus on the mountain top alone, in the dark (the other Gospels tell us it is about three o'clock in the morning when this takes place), while His disciples row over the sea toward Capernaum. We presume that Jesus is praying alone by Himself, and we can imagine the turn of events at this point in His ministry. The people wish to make Him king, but that is not His mission. It's a misunderstanding of who He is and what He's doing here. One presumes the direction of the Father remains an essential part of His ministry through all things. But the disciples venture out on their own, and with difficulty these men (among them, seasoned fishermen of the Sea of Galilee) are rowing against a strong wind and huge waves -- so powerful they are afraid they are drowning in the middle of the Sea. Then Jesus appears near them, walking on the water! This makes them more afraid! (They fear He may be a ghost!) But He said, "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. We note a pattern: the people seek a king to liberate them, to make Israel a victorious nation, and Jesus is not to be this king. But out of the depths of the darkness and fear of drowning, He appears to His disciples. The words, "It is I, do not be afraid" echo for us through many passages of commentary throughout the years of the Church. "It is I" is actually I AM (ego eimi in the Greek), the name of God of the Old Testament, a pronouncement of Jesus' divinity. The full statement is Jesus' promise to us through our difficulties, and it is tied to the ones whom He seeks, who will worship God in spirit and truth. God is not bound by worldly expectations, nor even worldly laws. But Christ comes to us in spirit and truth, unbound by worldly and political concerns, in spirit and truth. Immediately they are on dry land; He is their safety and security. We understand from the images in this story that Jesus knows about us, His followers, where we are and what we go through, even when we feel most alone, in a "dark night of the soul." (F. Scott Fitzgerald has famously written, "In a real dark night of the soul, it is always three o'clock in the morning" -- perhaps with this passage in mind.) This is the fifth sign of seven in the Gospel of John.

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. We remember that the people, fed in the wilderness, are still seeking Jesus to make Him king, and He has so far eluded this crowd. They still follow Him to Capernaum, nevertheless.

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." I think this is an important distinction here that Jesus makes. It's not because of the signs (which point to the reality of the Father), but because they were fed that they seek Him. They want Him to take care of their problems, to provide them with the material things they need; they don't seek a relationship in spirit and truth. This is why they wish Him to become their king.

"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." They need to labor for the food which endures to everlasting life, which comes from Him. This food is akin to the living water that springs up into everlasting life, of which Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.

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." I have included these verses (which will also be a part of Monday's reading) because of their importance to the rest of the passage. Again, in the familiar pattern of John's Gospel, the people gradually respond to His opening of their understanding. But again, it's a misunderstanding! How do they work the works of God? And here is the true revelation, one that still stuns us if we look truly at its simplicity and fullness: the work of God is faith.

Repeatedly we hear Jesus stressing, in one way and another, that He's here on a mission, because the Father seeks those who worship in spirit and truth. And here, Jesus takes us to the heart of the matter, putting it plainly, starkly, succinctly: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." It reflects back on His words to the leadership when He was challenged for violating the Sabbath: "Until now, I work and the Father works." Our rest is our faith in Christ, and this also our main and fundamental work. From there, our faith leads us. Let us remember that when we make choices, in that difficult work of the heart, the forging of faith, then we are engaged in a work of God. Without relationship, without grace and God's work in us, faith is impossible. But we also say yes to that work in ourselves, and it is an ongoing labor throughout our lives. We grow in our faith, as He has taught in so many parables, such as that of the mustard seed. It is an ongoing work, taking root in us, and producing growth and spiritual fruits through the gifts of the Spirit. But it needs our "yes" -- our rest, abiding in Him, which here is portrayed as our true work. Let us understand this work, and this rest, which is with us for every day. As Jesus continues His discourse, we will see what He refers to as the bread for which we must labor, the bread of life. He will take us more deeply into what it is to have faith.

He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"

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

Over the course of the past several readings, we have been reading about incidents that took place in the temple, at the time of the Festival of Weeks, or the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. Jesus first healed a paralytic man, telling him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." The authorities challenged the man, saying he was violating the Sabbath; he told them that the man who healed him said to take up his bed. When they found Jesus, they confronted Him about doing these things on the Sabbath, and He said, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore they wanted to persecute Him all the more, because He said He was God's Son, and made Himself equal with God. Jesus than began to teach about Himself. He did as the Father willed, was given all things by the Father. He will do greater works than they have seen, for in Him is also the life in the Father. Moreover, the Father has committed Judgment to the Son. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. He told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live." In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued. He offered four witnesses to His Sonship: the Father, John the Baptist, the works that He does as given by the Father, and finally the Scriptures of Moses and the Old Testament. He said, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"

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. While John reports seven signs altogether in His gospel, we are also told that many signs were performed that the Gospel doesn't mention. In this way, Jesus is already very well-known, and has many people -- "a great multitude" -- who wish to see Him. Now He has crossed back over the Sea of Galilee after the Festival at Jerusalem and the events there we read about over the past several readings. Now the Passover Festival draws near. My study bible tells us, "The Passover coincided with the Feast of Unleavened Bread which commemorated not only the Exodus from Egypt, but the first food from grain eaten in the Promised Land after the crossing of the Jordan."

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?" John gives us a glimpse here into the mind of Jesus: He's testing Philip, because He already knows what He is going to do. That's a very interesting understanding. Often we may read in the Old Testament Scriptures about God's testing of Israel throughout its history. Here, we also have a fulfillment of "type" -- the multitudes follow Jesus onto a mountain top, as the Israelites leaving Egypt into unknown territory for the Promised Land. Can one buy bread in the wilderness? My study bible says that Philip was tested because he needs to understand who Christ is. Jesus continually reveals Himself -- especially in this Gospel -- through the things people don't know and don't understand, what they cannot see. He reveals the potentials inherent in His identity, and in relation to those who have faith in Him and to His Creation. Two hundred denarii is a large sum for these working people, about 200 days' wages for a laborer. Andrew looks to see what is on hand, but can't understand what can be done with such small provisions. By noting that these are barley loaves, we get a picture of the people who follow Jesus: they are the poorer people. Barley cost less than wheat, and, my study bible notes, was ready for harvest in the springtime at Passover.

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. The feeding of five thousand (this is the number of men, a traditional way of counting -- there would also be women and children present) is reported in all four Gospels. It is a preview of the Eucharist: to "give thanks" in the Greek is the verb eucharisto. The food is blessed, distributed to the disciples and then given to the people. This is Jesus' fourth sign in John's gospel. Here in this setting, and at this time, it is a revelation of the divinity in Christ in the "type" of the feeding of Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus in the gift of manna.

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. The twelve baskets are symbolic: the Twelve Apostles will go out into the the world with the food of the Gospel, for all the world. My study bible says, "As with the manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16:16-21), nothing of the gift of God should be lost. In contrast to the manna, here we have an abundance of twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each disciple."

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." We contrast this with Jesus' speech made to the temple leadership, which John has just reported in the verses previous to today's reading. He told them, "Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" Jesus was referring to the verses in Deuteronomy, when Moses foretold of the Prophet who was to come: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him" . . . "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him." Here, those who have seen this sign believe that He is that Prophet, as predicted by Moses. The witness or testimony of the sign has been in a certain sense grasped by these people who are fed on the mountain top, but not by the leadership in the temple. Their expectations of this Prophet are not in keeping with Jesus' identity nor mission -- John once more gives us truth through the people's misapprehension. My study bible says, "The Galilean Jews, with their misguided messianic enthusiasm equate Jesus with the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15-19, whom they expect to be an earthly, political leader who will lead them against the occupying Romans, as Moses led his people out of bondage. Because He is not to fulfill these expectations, Jesus withdraws from the crowd." He is another kind of Leader, one who seeks those who will worship God in spirit and truth, the Teacher for all of us.

In yesterday's reading, Jesus contrasted the love of God with the love of the praise of men. He spoke of those who understand only the glory that comes from men rather than the glory that comes from God. There is repeatedly an assertion about a relationship first with the Father, and from this comes the understanding of Christ. So, I think that even in this reading, we have to ask ourselves, "What is glory?" Even through this great miracle or sign of the feeding in the wilderness, we will see the misunderstanding arise. John reports Jesus' signs, but does not offer them as proofs to force faith. Instead, they are testimony; they point to something beyond themselves. Over and over again, what is taken at face value is taken wrongly. Worldly assumptions about Christ and what He does simply can't take in the truth of His mission and His Person and intentions. Instead, He asks for those whom the Father is seeking: those who will worship in spirit and truth. The purely worldly, the obvious, is mistaken, just as an authority that comes only from other people and fails to have a connection to the true authority of God, through the love of God, will fail to grasp what is truly present. Let us ask ourselves what it is to worship in spirit and truth. Let us ask ourselves what we seek when we look at this text, or read of these signs. Can they teach us more than what we read or hear? Is there something we reach toward, even within ourselves, that takes us beyond our own limits and expectations and assumptions? That is the place we will find faith, the love of God -- the potential that is truly there in five barley loaves and two small fishes. Without this, we will miss the abundance of life itself.

How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

- John 5:30-47

Here, in today's passage, Jesus is speaking at the Festival of Weeks, or the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. Earlier (in the reading for Monday), Jesus healed a paralytic man, telling him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." The authorities objected to this violation of the Sabbath, and confronted Jesus. Jesus told them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Then they wanted to persecute Jesus the more, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. In yesterday's reading, Jesus expounded on the nature of His relationship with the Father. The Son can do nothing of Himself, but only what is given Him of the Father to do. They will see yet greater works -- because as the Father gives life to the dead, so the Son gives life to whom He will. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but leaves judgment to the Son. Therefore, he who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live." He also told them, "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." Today, we continue reading Jesus' discourse to the temple leadership.

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true." Jesus establishes clearly the priority of the Father in all things He does. We remember that He is speaking as Son of Man -- God incarnate. But in this passage there is communicated both the divine relationship and His human will. My study bible has a note that teaches the theology of this divine relationship and the human Jesus: "The divine will is common to the Persons of the Trinity, for all share the same divine energy. In their manifestation in the world, however, all energy originates in the Father, being communicated through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Here there is a sense that the Son obeys the Father. This is because, in His human nature, the Son has human energy -- including human will - which He offers to God the Father as the source of all. This is His own will which must do the will of the Father." In this obedience, there is One who witnesses of Jesus, and this is the Father's testimony. Jesus begins to establish His identity here to the temple leadership, offering witnesses to Sonship. In Jewish tradition, says my study bible, a valid testimony requires two witnesses. Here Jesus offers God the Father as the first.

"You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light." Here is Jesus' second witness to His Sonship, John the Baptist. John, in Jesus' imagery here, was the great burning and shining lamp which cast light to illumine the truth, and to point the way to prepare for the Son. He was greatly respected in his ministry, widely considered a holy man. He preached a baptism of repentance for preparation for Messiah (who would baptize with the Holy Spirit) and the coming of the Kingdom.

"But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." Jesus offers a third witness to His Sonship, and that is the works that the Father has given Him to do. They bear witness that He is sent by the Father, because they are signs given by the Father.

"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me." Here is a powerful statement; Jesus returns to the Father as witness. It is implied here that through the works or signs Jesus is given to do, the Father bears witness to the Son. But Jesus' accusers can't read these signs, they can't understand them, because, Jesus says, they don't have God's word abiding in them. If they heard the Father's word within themselves, they would believe the One whom the Father has sent. It is a sense in which the word of the Father, abiding in human beings, creates recognition of the authority of the Son. God the Father is beyond all understanding in "hearing" and "seeing" but His word may abide in us. Moses testified through the word of the Scriptures, and the Scriptures bear witness to the Son. The Scriptures of the Old Testament are Jesus' fourth witness to Sonship.

"But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" Again (as in yesterday's reading), Jesus refers to the life that is in Him, the life that is His to give. He contrasts the capability of embracing the love of God in faith with the "honor from men." They don't receive Jesus, who comes in His Father's name, but they will receive those who have great names in a worldly sense. This goes to the heart of the recognition of Jesus' authority (as in the cleansing of the temple), and the power of faith. If they had the word and the love of the Father abiding in them, they would recognize Him. But they only recognize a worldly sense of authority, the honor that comes from men; their eyes are focused on the worldly to the exclusion of the spiritual life, which Jesus has spoken of as worship "in spirit and truth."

"Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" Again, He returns to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, in which the leadership who accuses Him claim to be experts. So, Jesus here is going deeply into matters of faith, accusing them of not truly believing Moses, and therefore the Scripture in which they are supposed to be experts. My study bible cites the words and testimony of Moses from Deuteronomy: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him" . . . "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him."

In Jesus' words today, we get a taste of the interrelatedness of spiritual reality and of our faith. There are four witnesses to Jesus' Sonship: God the Father, John the Baptist, the works He does (which are seen as signs in John's gospel), and the Old Testament Scriptures. But we also get a great lesson in faith: the leadership cannot truly recognize who He is because they don't really have the love of God abiding in them, and hence can't truly accept Moses' testimony, in which they are experts. This is, importantly, contrasted with the honor from men. It is as if there is an exchange posited here: we substitute one for the other. Without the true love of God within ourselves, we may be fooled by the picture of worldly honor, persuaded of authority where it does not exist, and missing authority where it does truly exist. Jesus makes it explicitly clear, twice saying that "I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved" and " I do not receive honor [or glory] from men." Jesus' honor or glory comes from the Father, and those who would worship in spirit and truth seek a relationship with this glory or honor, and recognize it where it is found. A "hardened heart" is unaware of this, blind to it, and recognizes only the glory that comes from the praise of men, a purely worldly sense of authority and conviction, of truth. Which will it be? These words are offered to us for a reason. It is all about relationship; without the first great love ("You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might"), we will be unable to recognize the Lord's work and whomever the Lord has sent; we will substitute for this love only the glory of the praise and authority of men. How do we keep this love, in spirit and truth, alive in our hearts? The question is there for all of us, today, here and now -- not just the temple authorities in this passage.

The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

- John 5:19-29

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' third sign in the Gospel of John. Jesus is at the festival, which is named by Church Fathers as the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks. There is a multitude around a pool, called Bethesda, near the Sheep Gate. It was a pool used to wash down sacrificial lambs before they were slain. But every once in awhile, the water is stirred (the people believe, by an angel), and at that moment it is believed that the one who steps in will be healed. Jesus speaks to a paralytic man: does he want to be healed? Yes, comes the answer. But when the water is stirred someone always steps in front of him. He needs someone to put him into the pool. Jesus told him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." Immediately he was healed, and did so. But when the authorities saw him violating a Sabbath rule -- carrying his burden -- they told him this was not lawful. He told them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" The religious authorities asked who this was, but Jesus had disappeared into the crowd, and the man didn't know who He was. Later, Jesus found the healed man in the temple, and told him, ""See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." The healed paralytic then told the officials that Jesus had made him well. For this reason, the Gospel tells us, the temple authorities persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore they sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." Here, Jesus begins to teach us just how the Father and Son are equal, and alike. There is a full likeness in the shared attributes of power, and the character in the use of that power. They are inseparable in this: the Father leads, the Son fully responds in like manner.

"For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel." Jesus promises greater signs than what they have seen, what He so far has done -- but all depends upon the Father. The Son follows and does what the Father gives Him to do. The Father gives to the Son fully, and the relationship is one of love.

"For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father." It is even the power of life and death, which is the power of the Father, that is also given to the Son. That is, the power to fully restore the dead to life. And something more we are taught here by Christ, that the Father leaves judgment to the Son, "that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father." Here is a clue about judgment: the Son, who is fully vested in power by the Father, represents the Father. He who rejects the Son, therefore rejects the Father. What is powerful here is the absolute statement of likeness. My study bible says this discourse "shows the Father and Son are so united in nature, will and action that the Son fully shares the divine attributes of giving life and executing judgment."

"He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." Here it is fully clear; Jesus is making His point so that it is lost on no one. This is also the will of the Father, that the Son may be honored, as is the Father -- the Son is fully vested with authority and likeness to the Father.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." Here is the action of the Father in the world, through the Son. What Jesus speaks is that which is given Him of the Father. Those who "take rest" in His word, who accept, shall share life in the kingdom. Even more strongly, it is redemption, a passing from death into life. Jesus is speaking of the last Judgment, but these words are in the present tense. I believe we can liken them to the present tense of Jesus' reply to the leadership in yesterday's reading: "Until now, the Father works and I work." This word may come in myriad ways; it is present to us, it reflects the One who sent Him.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man." Here is a puzzling statement -- one about the future, an hour that "is coming," and about the present, it "now is." Speaking of the dead who will hear the voice of the Son of God leads us to understand He is speaking of the final Judgment at the end of days. But there is also a present understanding here as well, the voice is present -- as it may still be "present" to us in spirit and truth, in any encounter. And we really have to ask the question as well, even in a spiritual sense: are there any "dead" in the world, who may feel a sort of spiritual death, and who may receive life from this voice? Jesus, who has been granted life in Himself, may give this life in many ways -- it seems a kind of open and endless promise. Nothing is given in measure to Him. As the Son of Man, God incarnate, He also has authority to execute judgment. As one of us, He lives so that we may respond in all ways He may reach to us, even as we live our lives in the world.

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." Here again is a promise about the final judgment, those who have already passed are also promised the possibility of hearing this voice, a judgment based on full knowledge of their hearts and minds and response to that voice -- which is the voice of love, and life. It is all a question of our response. It is also a promise for all beings, those living and dead, to all who lived before His presence incarnate in the world, and therefore even to all who may never have heard of Him.

Let us focus again on Jesus' statement to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, and understand today's reading in that context. He said to her, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Let us once again consider what it is to worship in spirit and truth. Note Jesus' consistency: here, He is also stating His mission as that which the Father desires. The One who sent Him is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. We have already considered these words in the context of that reading, and Jesus' statement that there is not one particular place in which to worship. But here, Jesus takes the meaning further, in teaching that these words defy not only place or space, but also time. They are a promise of a final judgment at the end of the time we understand now, but they are also words that are present to us -- here and now, just as they are a present promise to the ones to whom He was speaking in the flesh, the temple authorities. They are a promise to those who were dead, they are a promise to those who will hear this voice at the time of the final judgment. This promise lives to us, at all times and all places. And let us remember that to hear this voice is also an unlimited possibility in this sense: to worship in spirit and truth means that the potential for faith is not limited. The Father is seeking those who will worship in spirit and truth -- for the life of the world, the whole of the world and all that is in it. Life, the potential to give life, is not limited by anything in the Son's power that has been given by the Father. The Father seeks us all, everywhere, from all times. We have so many chances, so many choices to respond to this voice that is always present. Can we do so?

Rise, take up your bed and walk

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

- John 5:1-18

In yesterday's reading, we read the second of Jesus' seven signs in the Book of John. A sign, we recall, tells us of the presence of God. It points to something beyond itself. Once again, Jesus is in Cana of Galilee, where the water was turned to wine in the first of these signs of this Gospel. John tells us that Jesus Himself testified that a prophet is without honor in his own country - and here Jesus is in Galilee, His own country. The Galileans are only impressed with the signs Jesus has done earlier at the Passover feast in Jerusalem. A nobleman comes to Jesus to find Him, and he tells Jesus that his son, who is in Capernaum, is dying. Jesus said, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The Gospel tells us that this nobleman believed Jesus at His word. He went to his home in Capernaum, and found the son was healed at the time that Jesus spoke these words. We are told that not only he believed, but also his whole household.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Here is yet another feast Jesus attends, as a dutiful Jew obedient to the Law. This festival is assumed by Church Fathers to have been the Feast of Weeks or the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, because of references to the Law of Moses later in the chapter. This feast centers around the theme of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai -- and we will see the important references to the Law as the story unfolds.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. My study bible explains that archaeologists have found such a pool by the Sheep Gate, about 100 yards north of the temple area. It was a high-ground double-basin pool -- its water came from underground springs. This water was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain. The image that we get here is of multitudes of people, waiting for healing. We recall, also, the living water of which Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Only one at a time may go into this pool -- and that must be at the right time! In this, the image is similar to the issues raised in that story: there is only one time and one place for this healing to happen. But Christ has said the Father is looking for those who will worship in spirit and truth -- not bound by place or time.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. What we note is that in fact Jesus has chosen out this man among the multitudes. Jesus "knows" him, and knows that he has already been in this condition a long time. This man has been waiting, like those waiting a long time for the light of Israel, the Messiah, figures such as Simeon. We see the sadness of his condition: another always steps into the pool before him. This time, Jesus asks, "Do you want to be made well?" Once again, as in yesterday's reading, Jesus heals merely by word. There is no special time or place, only the meeting of the grace and presence of Christ.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. We remember here that when John's gospel refers to "the Jews" it is speaking of the religious leadership at the temple, not the Jewish people. Everybody present, including both the healed man and Jesus, is a Jew. But the leadership think of themselves as the guardians of the Law. My study bible notes, "Although the law of the Sabbath does not specifically prohibit the carrying of burdens, this activity is mentioned in Jer. 17:21 and Neh. 13:19 and was explicitly forbidden by rabbinical regulations." We note that it is first the healed man who is confronted -- from him the leadership learn about Jesus.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Jesus comes to the man again. Let us note how faith works: Jesus came to him midst the multitude waiting to be healed. Here He finds the man in the crowd in the temple. But it's still far away, private in the middle of a crowd, the tumult of the festival, from the authorities. Privately Jesus tells him that he must seek to live a good life, to stay in the "healed" way Jesus has set him. This is a spiritual reality with which the man is presented; all of life is inseparable from Creator. While it was a common belief that illness and misfortune were divine retribution for sin, my study bible points out that Jesus doesn't ratify this as an absolute principle -- rather, "the paralytic's cure is to lead to conversion and a righteous life."

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." What is Christ's work? What is the Father's work? What is the "work" of the Sabbath? Perhaps we should ask the more pointed question: What is the "rest" of the Sabbath? We "rest" in the Father's and Christ's work of healing and restoring, in all ways. We note that it is always present: in the original, this is in a continuous present -- "until now, my Father works and I work." This is the work of the Sabbath, in which we take rest. Jesus openly declares Himself here to the leadership, and it is merely an outrage of their sensibilities and understanding; they are the guardians of the Law and He is in blatant violation of their territory, in so many ways. John tells us: Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

What does it mean that Jesus has declared Himself openly here at the temple? We will go on to read His words to the leadership in the following passages, in tomorrow's reading. This Gospel (unlike the others) starts us off with the cleansing of the temple, Jesus' immediate declaration of authority in one act, right at the beginning of His ministry. Here, the paralytic was healed privately, and again, Jesus comes to him privately though they are in the crowd at the festival. This is the way that we can relate this to our faith, and how, so often, it works. But Jesus is a man of great courage -- openly stating Himself first in the act of cleansing, and now here when confronted by the authorities who are outraged that there has been work done on the Sabbath. They are further outraged by Jesus' open declaration that the Father is working, and He is working -- moreover, He refers to the Father as "My Father" and thereby declares Himself Son, united to the Father in this work. While we have this tremendous courageous figure of Christ who has come into the world for the life of the world, for all of us, we also have the Christ in this story who is here for each and every one of us, the experience of our faith. This Christ may come in the midst of all the tumultuous moments of life, when we are surround by those who do not know nor care, who may be jostling and competing with us for what we think we need in life. This Christ comes to us no matter what else may be happening, and speaks to us personally, in private, even in a secret place. He is the Christ of this bold declaration, the One who will be raised up for the life of the world, but He is also the One who is not barred by time nor space, but who is with us in spirit and in truth. Let us recall all of Him, everything we are given, for God so loved the world. Let us not forget, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Let us take our rest in God, in Christ, and remember His work!

Go your way; your son lives

Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

- John 4:43-54

Over the past few readings, Jesus has been in Samaritan territory. He was traveling from Jerusalem -- the first Passover feast He attended in John's gospel -- to Galilee. On the way, tired and thirsty from traveling, He stopped at Jacob's well, while the disciples were in the city getting provisions for food. He asked a Samaritan woman to get Him a drink of water -- something extraordinary and unusual for a Jewish man! When she wondered at this, He said, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." Later, when she asks for this living water, He told her to go find her husband and bring him back. When she replied that she had no husband, He told her she had spoken correctly, that she had had five husbands, and the one she had now was not her husband. Because of this knowledge, she believed He was a prophet, and asked Him about the dispute between Samaritans and Jews regarding the proper place for temple worship. He said, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." When she replied that she knew all were awaiting the Messiah, Jesus said, "I who speak to you am He." On Saturday, we read of the return of the disciples, who were amazed to the point of speechlessness that Jesus was speaking to this Samaritan woman. The woman then went into the city, and told people about Jesus: "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Meanwhile the disciples urged Jesus to eat, but He replied, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" The townspeople, whom tradition holds to be dressed in white, come to Jesus, drawn in by the woman who was at the well. The townspeople told her, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." Jesus stayed two days with them.

Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. for Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. Jesus is a Galilean. My study bible notes that the statement concerning the prophet without honor is reported in all four Gospels. These Galileans believe only because of what they saw Him perform at the Passover feast. John's gospel does not report any of these signs, but only His cleansing of the temple, and a discussion afterward with the Pharisee Nicodemus about being born again through baptism and the Spirit. In this dialogue, Jesus also spoke about His mission in the world, the statements that sum up the gospel message. John's gospel therefore emphasizes the true spiritual reality of Christ, and not the signs He performs.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." We return to Cana, "where He had made the water wine," the first of His signs in John's Gospel. Cana, we will be told later on in this Gospel, is Nathanael's home -- Nathanael is the disciple who had to come and see Jesus for himself, and whom Jesus knew from afar. The story we read about the nobleman in today's reading bears some similarities to that of the centurion in other Gospels, but there are differences. Here, the royal official is meant to be a Herodian. But the emphasis here is on faith, and the nature of faith.

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." One thing we notice in the story, similar to the other gospel accounts, is the depth of love the nobleman feels for his sick child. His desperation becomes more acute when Jesus delays. It's like a repeated prayer; there is nowhere else to go, no one else to whom to turn. This official, unlike the Galileans, believes Jesus at His word. As he goes back to his house, his servants meet him and it's determined his son got better at the time Jesus told him, "Go your way; your son lives." This is presented by John as true faith -- not merely one based in the signs and wonders of Christ, unlike the Galileans, Jesus' countrymen.

And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. It's notable that not only he, but his whole household believes. The gospel message returns to us emphasizing relationship and kinship. Jesus' countrymen do not believe, but here, the entire household of this nobleman become a part of Christ's family, the Church. This is the second of seven signs in John's gospel.

My study bible points out that as Jesus knew Nathanael at a distance, here in today's reading He heals at a distance. Space becomes a kind of consideration that is a barrier to us, but not to faith, and not to God's work in faith and in relationship to us. Jesus has said in recent readings that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." This was in response to a question that was about which particular place is necessary for true worship. Jesus' countrymen and kin are shown to be lacking in this type of faith in today's reading. Relationship, therefore, in this spiritual sense given us by John, is not about proximity or space. Neither is it, as we shall see, hindered by considerations of time. We can add these factors to the revelation of divinity in the signs of Jesus. Faith, then, bars all obstacles to relationship that we would consider limits on such. Truly, the question that begs to be asked here is, "What is faith?" And secondly to that, "What kind of faith is Jesus looking for?" We're given a hint in what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, about what kind of faithful God the Father is seeking -- those who will worship in spirit and truth. There are no conventional barriers here, but only relationship that goes straight to the heart of who we are, to our deepest places and also deepest needs. The nobleman, desperate to save his son, is barred by nothing to get the word of Christ to help. His prayer reaches to God -- God in the flesh, in the person of Jesus. Let us remember that his prayer is also for us; in spirit and truth, ours do the same. Can we understand and grow this faith relationship in ourselves? Can we accept the gift of living water?

Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In the meantime, His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

- John 4:27-42

Over the past two readings, we have read about Jesus' encounter at Jacob's well with a Samaritan woman. He began (in Thursday's reading) by asking her to get Him a drink of water (a surprising thing for Jewish man to do!) -- and told her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." In yesterday's reading, He replied when she asked for this water, "Go call your husband, and come here." She told Him she had no husband -- and He replied that she'd spoken well, because she had had five husbands already, and the one she had now was not truly her husband. Because of this knowledge, she thought He must be a prophet. She asked Him about the dispute between the Jews and Samaritans over the site of temple worship. But He replied to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman, yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him. His disciples seem to be so stunned that He's speaking to this woman that they fail to say anything to Him or to her at all! Jews were not allowed to speak publicly with a woman, and furthermore with a Samaritan woman. My study bible notes, "Jesus' words and actions transcend ethnic and gender-related customs of the time." It also notes here that this Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist, "testifying to the advent of Christ and bringing others to Him." It continues, "According to early tradition, after the Resurrection of Christ she was baptized and given the Christian name Photini," which in Greek means "the enlightened one." With her two sons and five daughters, tradition tells us, she went to Carthage to spread the gospel. They were arrested, taken to Rome under Nero, imprisoned and later martyred. The story about her tells us she who met Christ beside Jacob's well was martyred by being thrown into a well.

In the meantime, His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." The misunderstanding of Jesus' words, as so often happens in the Gospels, becomes a tool for teaching. Here, Jesus' words tell us so much, about His ministry and life. But they also tell us something specific -- they indicate that to speak with this woman was a part of His work, something very deliberate. Whatever customs or traditional structures (such as speaking to a woman, and even a Samaritan woman) have been violated, they have been in service to the Father and the ministry He's been given -- "to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." My study bible says, "His food is to bring people to believe in Him and be saved." And the message is very clear -- salvation is from the Jews, but it is going to other peoples as well. In yesterday's reading, Jesus told the woman, "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews." He is enlightening those who do not know, and who will worship in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." Tradition tells us that the Samaritan townspeople brought back with the woman are dressed in white as they approach Jesus. These people are the fields "white for harvest." White or light-colored grain, turned from green, indicate a field is ready for harvest. My study bible writes, "The Father is the sower; Jesus is the reaper. Jesus will send the disciples to reap; their apostolic mission has been implicit from their initial calling." Clearly, just as John the Baptist has prepared the way for Christ in this Gospel of John, so Jesus also refers to all those who populate the spiritual history of Israel, the entire salvation story, who have prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah, including the Patriarchs, prophets, and others we do not know. We get a glimpse, also, of the nature of the ongoing work of this Kingdom.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." Here is the beginning Church. The gospel is truly for all people. Jesus stays with them for two days; in the context of John's Gospel so far, this is quite a record. He has been moving rapidly from place to place as He shapes His ministry, chooses disciples, goes to the Passover feast at Jerusalem. Two days assure us this is indeed His work, well worth taking time out for -- He has much to do here, the fields are more than ripe, the harvest is abundant. They accept Jesus' identity as Messiah, "the Christ, and the Savior of the world."

That Christ is "the Savior of the world" tells us something powerful and essential. The word in Greek is kosmos, which means more than the world, than planet earth. It means the whole of Creation, all that is. Jesus is the Savior who not only is "of the Jews" but for "the world." The good news is abundant in the fields white for harvest -- He is what the world has been prepared for in all of salvation history. And, in my opinion, we still await Him in our lives. I don't think there isn't a circumstance, in our adult lives, when the way has not been paved nor prepared for Christ, when His light cannot help us and guide us. Think of the grain in the fields: how many people are ready for His message? The number is incalculable even as the population of the world continues to grow. We must think and try to understand what it means to be ready for harvest. Traditionally, in this region of the Samaritans today, the phrase "a white heart" means someone who is pure in heart. It is Jesus who has told us, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." When we're ready to hear and accept, with an open heart, the field is ripe. Let us look to St. Photini: she was by no means perfect in a "worldly" sense, she was the "wrong person" for Jesus to be speaking with -- and yet, there she was, at Jacob' well, where she needed to be so Christ could do His work. She is the first person to whom He has directly revealed Himself in ministry. Nothing can stop this work from happening; there are no barriers that can really get in the way of the field white for harvest, the white heart that is ready to hear, that needs the light of Christ. What do you need? What can He offer you today? The "living water" of this well is always in abundance and waiting for you. Like the Samaritans, like Nathanael, you may come and see for yourself. In return, He will offer you a place in this ministry as well - the waters that spring to everlasting life.