Tuesday 15 July 2014

Background

The narrative of John's Gospel moves from the miraculoussatisfaction of hunger (John6:5-13) to a discourse upon the "bread of life", in which Jesusspeaks of the true bread from heaven with an authority greater thanthat of Moses.

The people asking, 'What sign are you going to give us?',recalls Moses and the story of the manna, the bread from heaven,that sustained the people in the wilderness (Exodus16). Jesus takes hold of this recollection and asserts that itwas not Moses who gave the gift of bread, but God.

Jesus then identifies God's life sustaining gift of bread withhimself: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never behungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Thismessage is then firmly underlined with the assertion that suchcoming to Jesus is the will of the Father, and all who so see theSon and believe in him may have eternal life.

To Ponder

• What are the signs that people seek today?

• What signs help you to glimpse the presence of God today, andhow do they speak to you of eternal life?