Jesus the Bread of life

Today’s Gospel Text:  After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" 10 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. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" John 6:1-14

Reflection: If John the evangelist wanted to relate the story of Jesus feeding the multitude with bread, then why did he have to bring in the Passover element into this story?

The first message that we get from the Passover story of the Old Testament is that of a God who cares and provides for his people; just as he protected them in the desert and provided them with the heavenly manna, so too God will provide them who are walking in his ways and are hungry.

He provided Abraham the father in faith, of all Jews, the lamb of sacrifice; likewise, God will provide for the needs of his people the eternal lamb of sacrifice. 

Will then not God provide that greatest inherent need of man  to live long?

We eat in order to live. The fact that the world still strives to produce that elixir of life so as to prolong life, is an indication of our desire to live life to the full and long.

So we have gymnasiums, health spas, wholistic and spiritual health care centers, health centers, special anti-ageing formulas, research into the cause of aging, etc.

Though many may not avail of these benefits yet deep in the human heart there is always that desire to live and even long. 


How many of us not read articles that talk about the benefits of  healthy living, for a long and prolonged life?

Jesus is the answer to that need in every human being and he has done it by offering his own eternal life: By virtue of his sinlessness it is eternal and by virtue of his calling was to be a sacrifice to give life, so that we may have life through him (Jn. 10 : 10)

In the light of the above, the mention of the Passover by John holds special significance; it reveals God’s special dedication to save his people from the eternal damnation, of death, which each one on this earth is so keen on escaping.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." John 6:51

Prayer: "Lord, give us this bread always." John 6:34

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