“I Am The Bread Of Life.”
- International
- August 5, 2012
Today we reflect further on the theme we started yesterday, John’s discourse on the Bread of Life.
Another misunderstanding has arisen. People think they are being asked to “put faith” in Jesus merely to credit him with something he is about to do. He had multiplied the loaves and fishes the previous day. Would he do something similar today?
“What sign are you going to perform for us?” they ask in curiosity. Already their enthusiasm over the miracle of the previous day has begun to wane. After all, Jesus had only multiplied earthly bread, whereas in times gone by, Moses, the great Lawgiver, had given his people manna, “bread from heaven”. The people’s minds are still conditioned by material expectations.
Jesus clarifies: The manna which Moses gave you was ‘heavenly bread’ only after a fashion. The true heavenly bread is Christ himself, given by God, and it is this which brings life to the world. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall never be hungry.”
The crowd cannot digest this. They understand that Jesus is speaking of a bread which is not material, but how is it that he identifies it with himself? Jesus says whoever comes to me, that is, whoever believes in me, will never be hungry. The explanation moves from the level of mundane hunger which demands physical nourishment to spiritual hunger and thirst, which only a deep and committed relationship with Jesus can satisfy. This is the meaning of Jesus saying, “I myself am the bread of life”.
For the first time in John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase, “I am – “. It is a phrase with powerful connotations. It relates first and foremost to the passage in the book of Exodus, where God reveals himself to Moses, as “I am who I am”. In using this very description of himself, Jesus is asserting his own identity as God, and John will repeat this assertion through his Gospel in a variety of contexts: Jesus is the bread of life, the good shepherd, the vine with the branches, the door of the sheepfold, and so on.
What Jesus is saying here is that he is the nourishment of our souls, the one who satisfies all our desires, and that in a relationship of trust with him, we will live forever. He is the bread which brings us “eternal life.”
Once again, we will continue to discuss this Gospel reflection tomorrow.
Another misunderstanding has arisen. People think they are being asked to “put faith” in Jesus merely to credit him with something he is about to do. He had multiplied the loaves and fishes the previous day. Would he do something similar today?
“What sign are you going to perform for us?” they ask in curiosity. Already their enthusiasm over the miracle of the previous day has begun to wane. After all, Jesus had only multiplied earthly bread, whereas in times gone by, Moses, the great Lawgiver, had given his people manna, “bread from heaven”. The people’s minds are still conditioned by material expectations.
Jesus clarifies: The manna which Moses gave you was ‘heavenly bread’ only after a fashion. The true heavenly bread is Christ himself, given by God, and it is this which brings life to the world. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall never be hungry.”
The crowd cannot digest this. They understand that Jesus is speaking of a bread which is not material, but how is it that he identifies it with himself? Jesus says whoever comes to me, that is, whoever believes in me, will never be hungry. The explanation moves from the level of mundane hunger which demands physical nourishment to spiritual hunger and thirst, which only a deep and committed relationship with Jesus can satisfy. This is the meaning of Jesus saying, “I myself am the bread of life”.
For the first time in John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the phrase, “I am – “. It is a phrase with powerful connotations. It relates first and foremost to the passage in the book of Exodus, where God reveals himself to Moses, as “I am who I am”. In using this very description of himself, Jesus is asserting his own identity as God, and John will repeat this assertion through his Gospel in a variety of contexts: Jesus is the bread of life, the good shepherd, the vine with the branches, the door of the sheepfold, and so on.
What Jesus is saying here is that he is the nourishment of our souls, the one who satisfies all our desires, and that in a relationship of trust with him, we will live forever. He is the bread which brings us “eternal life.”
Once again, we will continue to discuss this Gospel reflection tomorrow.
