‘Sir, they said, ‘give us this bread always’: Jesus answered: ‘I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.’’
Last week we left Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum declaring to the Jews that He was ‘the Bread of Life’. We now move on to the reaction of the Jews: ‘They were complaining to each other because He had said, ‘I am the Bread that came down from heaven…. Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said ‘We know his father and mother. How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’’
The reaction of the Jews in the face of this claim of Jesus, was to produce the impression that He was the Carpenter’s son and they had seen him grow up in Nazareth. It was the Nazarene rejection all over again. They were unable to understand how one of their neighbours, a tradesman, who came from a poor home, could possibly be a special messenger from God.
The Jews argued with each other. They were so taken aback with Jesus’ claim and with their own private arguments, that it never struck this Chosen People of God to refer the matter to — God himself. They were exceedingly eager to let everyone know what they thought on the matter; but not anxious to know what God thought (If only they had realised that it was God who was speaking to them).
The discourse on the ‘Bread of Life’ progresses through a subtle interplay of questions and answers, reminiscent of that in the parables. Christ pronounces a formula that is profound, enigmatic, picturesque or metaphorical; or one referring to an Old Testament symbol: then the hearers misunderstand the true meaning of the words; then Christ explains. But this time his explanations raise new questions, even vehement protests: It is a new doctrine which is none of the above, it is who He is. These protests are of no matter, Jesus continues; not because He is indifferent to such incomprehension, but because He owes it to Himself to speak the truth (He who is all truth) even if it is shocking: and also, to have regard for those who, in spite of difficulties, remain open to His revelations. We should remember that His apostles are listening too — and probably hearing this doctrine for the first time themselves. We are thus progressively led towards the summit of this long discourse and a moment of decision beckons. His statement about the ‘living bread’ was unmistakable and could not be avoided. He claimed explicitly, to be ‘The Bread of Life;’ He claimed that: ‘He had come down from heaven;’ He claimed: ‘That belief in Him gave life everlasting.’ He also used thegreat ‘I AM’ — ‘I AM the Bread of Life — ‘I AM’ —the essence and name of God given to Moses on Mount Horeb at the burning bush encounter.’
But how could this be? With the best will in the world, how could this be literally accepted. With all His supernatural powers was He not still only Jesus of Nazareth? His lowliness made an insuperable objection to His greatness. The people gathered around Him, knew Him as a child. Once more they were finding it most difficult to believe that Jesus had a special mission from God, and even more incredible for them was His doctrine of the Eucharistic Presence.
Deliberately, from the beginning, Jesus had taken up this in human life, and He would abide by its consequences. He had hidden Himself beneath this human flesh; He had intended that the work of man should be to discover Him beneath it ‘If they seek, they will find.’ If they would not, He would remain to them always, but Jesus of Nazareth and no more. Jesus would give them the means to find Him, evidence in His deeds, evidence in His words, but above all else, evidence in Himself and His own utter truth, He would await the Father to bestow upon them the gift of faith. To them who sought, light would be given; and yet more light, until at last they would see what to human understanding was impossible.
Christ now speaks clearly and directly, making certain no-one is misled. He first quietens them: ‘Stop complaining to each other,’ he then continues, emphasizing the reality of his seemingly incredible doctrine and position. In an increasing crescendo, He quotes from the prophets and ends with a climatic statement:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’ He tells them: ‘No-one can come to Me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent Me, and I will raise him up at the last day.’ He continued with His exposition: ‘It is written in the prophets, they will be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me.’
In another place (Matt 11:28) He says: ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest for your souls.’ Here today He tells them plainly: ‘No-one has seen the Father, except the one that comes from God: He has seen the Father, I tell you solemnly, everyone who believes has eternal life.’ It was the last warning before the great final teaching was given: ‘I AM the bread of life. Your father’s ate manna in the desert and they are dead, but this is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that man may eat it and not die. — I am the living bread.’
These words were emphatic, to all believers and non-believers alike, they came as a shock. Their full meaning was not understood. But to eat of this bread, they may never be hungry again and they will never die. For the bread of life is His very self. We now know in hindsight that He was promising them and us the Holy Eucharist. The same Holy Eucharist that we receive at Mass under the signs of bread and wine in Holy communion.
As we know, we receive Jesus Christ Himself — Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity: food not necessarily given for the bodily hunger, but certainly for the soul. Jesus feeds a deeper hunger within us, a hunger of the human spirit. Food nourishes life — but the ‘Bread of life’ which we receive in Holy communion — and is spoken of to the Jews, here in to-days Gospel, gives us no ordinary bodily life, but a life of the Spirit that is stronger than death.
To accept or recognise that Jesus is who He said He is — coming from heaven — that He is God Incarnate — is a matter of faith. Now the power of faith is derived neither from evidence; nor from logical and necessary conclusion of reasoning; nor from irrefutable proofs, nor from persuasive and irresistible force of works and miracles as one would expect. Jesus knows it and says: ‘No-one comes to Him unless drawn by the Father.’ Faith is a gift from the Father, and it takes faith to see what’s going on here. But we must understand what this means.
We are not speaking here of a ‘present’ received by certain persons and not by others, to do such and such a thing. Rather, faith is akin to love, to believe and to love goes hand in hand. This is the gift we speak of. One is imperceptibly caught or suddenly seized: one may fight what is happening, or is, as it were, incapable of resisting this attraction. We believe simply because God tells us it is so.
However, this Marvellous gift is received and accepted by one’s own free will and with thanksgiving. Afterwards one can become acutely aware of the reasons and justification for believing and loving this attachment to God. — Jesus— The Gospel. To believe is to allow oneself to be drawn — captured— by Him who alone is infinitely worthy of love. We are fortunate, we have received and accepted this gift, we must guard it well. God never wants to coerce anyone to be drawn to Him — These sheep are stubborn. But Our Lord will speak more to them in the hope that they will come to faith — Would these sheep ever see the light? We shall see.
‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’
