Breaking the Word

So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. (Jn 6:30-35)

People cannot get bread from heaven on demand. Even what the ancestors ate in the desert was not the work of Moses. It is from heaven and if it is God sent then it cannot happen as we expect. God sent has a new standard to which one should adhere to.

It is the recognition that in Jesus and everything that he is doing, the same God is at work who was at work in the exodus. People have seen Jesus doing a sign (feeding the people) and it is really strange that they ask for another. Unless they asked him for a political or military type of intervention to which Jesus was not willing to.

There was only one answer to all their questions and the answer was standing in front of them and that was Jesus. This passage has one of the ‘I am’ sayings in John’s gospel. In fact this is the first one of such sayings. Unless they recognize who Jesus is, they may be fed with bread and fish, but the deep hunger within the will never be satisfied. Jesus is the answer to all questions. 

…And when they found him across the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." (Jn 6:22-29)

Jesus had fed the people. He had walked on the water. He thought that the people would have got the message after seeing these events. These events were communicating to the people that there was a new Passover and a new Exodus. New Exodus and new Passover were taking place right in front of their eyes. But the people did not get the message.

Jesus had done something remarkable. People were excited. But the people came to him wanting more of them. Jesus rebuked them for their wrong motivation.  They were very earthly. They wanted to make him an earthly king. People had worldly agendas. Jesus was/is indeed a king. But the type and manner of his kingship is totally different from what the people wanted.

The sign (feeding the five thousand) was meant to lead them to the true food (Jesus himself). People were worried about what Jesus could do. But Jesus was trying to communicate to the people who he was. Only when we know who Jesus is then only he will do what we want.