18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – 1st August 2021 — Gospel: John 6,24-35
Revelatory Responses
People come to Jesus looking for something; their motives are mixed, but they come nevertheless. They are curiously attracted to the drawing powers of Jesus. When the seekers find Jesus in Capernaum on the other side of the lake, they ask him three questions. Thus the first part of Jesus’ Bread discourse (Jn 6,24-35) answers three massive human questions: the Where, the What, and the Who of the Will of God (Jn 6,25.28.30). Jesus answers profoundly each of their questions. The conversation is natural and rapid.
Firstly, the question “when did you come here?” (Jn 6,25) resembles “where have you been?” Jesus gently and firmly rebukes them, because their search is sensational and secularistic. He then redirects them to one great goal – the one great “where”, that is worthy of human searching and working: the bread that lasts forever (Jn 6,26-27). Jesus decisively points out that the end of man is spiritual. Secondly, to qualify further people ask Jesus, “What are the works that God wants us to do?” (Jn 6,28) By unfolding the great revelation, Jesus replies that the one great and sufficient work of God is trusting in the one God sent, which is the gracious work of God (Jn 6,29). The work of God invites faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Finally, they ask “what sign or what work are you going to perform?” (Jn 6,30). They authenticate their question with provocative citation of a Scripture that suggests that Moses had done a far greater miracle for his people than Jesus had just done for them (Jn 6, 31). Jesus patiently teaches them that his miracle is far superior to the miracle of manna. Though for the people, Moses’ heavenly food is far superior to Jesus’ earthly food, or divine manna is far greater than cheap barely bread. Moses’ forty years of provision is far superior to Jesus’ one afternoon food. In using a profound language Jesus explains that the sign is in the gift itself, i.e., “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6,32-33). Indirectly Jesus points out that the gift is the Giver; the perfect source of strength and joy. He is claiming in his own person to be that for which all human beings most long. Jesus is not just bread but ‘the’ Bread; and this Bread has within it not just some life but ‘the’ life.
The ‘where’ we are to look to find the will of God is Jesus himself. The ‘what’ of the will of God that we are to “work hard” in order to reach this ‘where’ is simply to trust this same person, the one whom God has sent, sealed and delivered to us, it is Jesus himself. The ‘who’ of the will of God is Jesus himself, the authentic Bread. Jesus himself and in person is the Where, the What, and the Who of the Will of God.
