Jesus the Bread of Life

Sunday, March 18 -- Read John 6:22-59

The crowd which Jesus has fed keeps on following him and finds him back on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The way that John tells it, however, they do so for the wrong reasons. Rather than being captured by his love and his teachings, they simply want more miracles, more bread. They miss the point that his feeding them physically is a sign of something stupendous spiritually: the dawning of God’s kingdom. To John, the whole point of Jesus’ ministry is for us to see and believe that he is God’s Son. If we do, our entire sense of identity changes so that we become “born from above” and are true children of God. If we don’t, the opportunity of a lifetime is lost and we remain separated from God. So when Jesus sees the true reason that the crowds have followed him, he tries to set them straight. “I am the Bread of Life,” he tells them. “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness when they were escaping from Egypt, but they all eventually died. But whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life and I will raise them up on the last day.” Taking these words literally, some are scandalized by what Jesus says. They think he is inviting cannibalism. But Jesus means his listeners to see the spiritual truth in his words, and John clearly has the sacrament of Holy Communion in mind. 

Reflection Questions: Jesus says that whoever partakes of him shall live forever. What do you make of that? How does the knowledge that you are a child of heaven instead of a child of earth change things?

Prayer: Dear God, help me fall in love with Jesus. Amen.