Breaking the Word

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"…

"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number… (Jn 6:1-15)

Something is happening at Passover time. The feeding of the five thousand takes place at this time. The author wants us to see the connection between the Passover and the feeding of the five thousand by Jesus. Passover is the time when God liberated the Israelites from Egypt, and led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land.  During the wandering in the wilderness he fed them with Manna (bread from heaven).

Feeding of the five thousand, which is narrated by all the four Evangelists, takes place in the wilderness. No city or village is nearby for the people to go and buy food for themselves. So food was not bought and given. Again Philip says that there was not enough money to buy food for all. So physically it was impossible for them to provide food. And what the boy is having is just sufficient for one but the crowd is too big to be fed by one man’s share. So the scene created in such way that it was totally, humanly impossible to provide.

Only God could do; and he has done it in the past. He has done it; that is why the reminder of Passover. God has done it again now through Jesus. God is active in and through Jesus. Jesus is the prophet (godly person). They are about make a jump in their mental conception of Jesus as to be a Messiah (king). Jesus is God sent and God is active in Jesus. 

The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven (is above all).He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.  (Jn 3:31-36) 

This passage challenges the reader as to where one is in this picture. This speaks about; ‘from above’ and ‘of the earth’.  The author is contrasting Jesus (the one from above) with the one from the earth. John the Baptist was from above; he was sent from God (There was a man called John, who was sent from God Jn 1,6). There are many people whose life and teaching are from the earth.   

People trust the words of those who have no breath of heaven in them and no sign of life in them. He came to his own but his own did not accept him (Jn 1,11). Jesus came to speak the WORD of GOD. He came to give the SPIRIT of GOD. All what Jesus gave was from God. People did not believe in him. Wrath of God does not mean that God is a tyrant waiting to punish the wrong doers; but because they are from the earth and earthly they are bound to corrupt and decay.