Reflection: John 6:30-35

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Easter – John 6:30-35

Today, the crowd is asking Jesus for a sign. They think they need to see Jesus work wonders, then they will believe in him! Their ancestors received the wondrous gift of manna when they were in the desert. They quoted the Scripture verse: “God gave them bread from heaven.” They hoped that Jesus would perform a similar miracle.

Jesus then tells them that it was not Moses who worked the bread miracle, it was God, Jesus’ Father, that did so. Jesus then goes on to say that the “bread of life” also comes down from heaven. It is this “bread of life” that gives life to the world. Did the people understand what Jesus was saying? They asked Jesus to give them some of the bread he spoke about. Did they realize that Jesus was not literally talking about bread that is baked in an oven? Rather, did they comprehend that Jesus was telling them that He, Jesus, was the bread of life? Jesus told them that anyone who truly believed in Him would never again hunger nor thirst.

Take moment and ask yourself: what do you hunger and thirst for at this time in your life? I assume you long for something! Typically, we human beings want more; we seldom are satisfied with what we have. There is always something on the horizon that we desire. It may be a promotion or a raise. It might be peace and happiness in your family. Or you may long for peace for our world. Today I invite to become aware of your longings. What do you truly long for?

Promotions, good pay, a nice house and good health are all great gifts. However, do they truly satisfy us? Yes, these are important, but do they bring us peace and true happiness? Jesus gives us the “bread of life.” This wondrous gift will bring us peace and happiness! Do we feed on the “bread of life?”

Do we appreciate this wondrous gift? Or do I simply receive it and consume it without much thought or awareness of what I have received? We can consume the bread of life or we can be fed by the bread of life. It is our choice!

It may be that if we consciously feed on the bread of life that we receive, we may find a great gift: Our Lord Jesus Christ! We also may experience contentment and peace! It is our choice: will we consciously choose to feed on our Lord Jesus Christ? I hope so!