Jesus had a tough time when it came to teachings about who
he was and what he was trying to accomplish. His followers often doubted or
could not understand the meaning of his teaching Then there were the Pharisees who were
constantly trying to find fault in his ministry and especially the things he
taught. Let's set the scene in John 6.
A great crowd of people had assembled and followed Jesus up
the mountainside to hear him teach. Because the Jewish Passover Feast was
getting close, Jesus expressed to Philip the need to buy food to feed the
crowd. Andrew spoke up and presented a young boy who had five small barley
loaves and two small fish. Everyone knew
that wouldn't be enough to feed the crowd, but Jesus took the loaves and the
fish and gave thanks, then distributed all the food they could eat. Leftovers
were gathered up so nothing would be wasted.
Don't you know his disciples were eager to proclaim their association
with Jesus after such a miracle?
Then later that evening, the disciples were by the lake and
got into a boat and headed across to Capernaum.
Jesus had not yet joined them and it became dark. The wind was blowing
strong and the waters were rough. Out of nowhere, they saw Jesus walking toward
them on the water. He identified himself to him and they took him into the
boat. I know they were all rubbing their
eyes and asking themselves, "Did I really see that?" Again, after such a miracle, his disciples
must have a faith so strong they would never doubt him again.
In John 6:25 Jesus begins his teaching about being the Bread
of Life. Interesting things are taught to the disciples throughout this
discourse. They include words from Jesus
like,
"The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Surely they were feeling pretty good
about believing at this point. But they
pressured Jesus to give them more signs that would help them believe; signs
like Moses giving their forefathers manna from heaven.
Then Jesus revealed to them, "I am the bread of
life." The Jews grumbled
among themselves at this statement, "Is this not Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
How can he now say,' I came down from heaven?'" The further
teaching of Jesus instructed them in eating his flesh and drinking his blood,
in order to have life within them. The
disciples failed to grasp his meaning again. One of the saddest verses in the
Bible follows. "..many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed
him."
In verse 63, Jesus had taught them, "The Spirit gives life; the
flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they
are life." Some of the disciples just did not get it. Do we?
Do we really believe that following Jesus requires the
emptying of self and the filling of our lives with the Spirit that brings life?
I know that must have been, as scripture say, a difficult thing for some of his
followers to understand, but we need to understand it too. Jesus is the Bread
of Life, the one who fulfills all we need. He is the one that fills our hearts
with himself, giving us hope. It is Jesus that satisfies our spiritual hunger.
Jesus, the one who fills our emptiness with his fullness.
"Lord, we are
empty without you. We pray you will make us aware of our need to invite you and
the fullness you bring into our lives. Give us hunger and thirst for your
righteousness that we may be filled. Amen."
<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>
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