3rd week in Easter, Wednesday – 29th April 2020 — Gospel: John 6, 35-40
Call to acquire Discipleship Tool
The post-resurrection experience emphasized John’s theology of seeing and believing, an interlinked experience. The beloved disciple had this experience in the empty tomb (20,8) and Thomas’ quench of doubt in risen Jesus reaches the climax (20,25.27.29). Earlier, Jesus condemns the desire for this experience in the healing of Royal official’s son (4,48). In this chapter, just before this section, the crowds expect signs to have the same experience (6,30). Jesus answers that he is the ‘bread from heaven’, a sign to see and believe. Jesus insists here twice of this experience (6,36 & 40). The repetition indicates a high level of importance. Indeed Jesus expresses this experience as the ‘Will of the Father.’ Therefore, we must learn to see this reality that “God was in Christ, who is bread of life” through the eye of faith. We will become authentic followers only if we know how. In the bread, Jesus’ wisdom is available to his followers. Seeing and believing is an accessible discipleship tool which provides Christians all levels of spiritual maturity. It also enables to perceive the spiritual realities that are within our reach, but mysteriously remain unrecognized and hidden. As followers we need to “participate in the divine nature” (2 Pet 1,4), which is the centre of our calling.
