John 6:24-35
So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. … So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
This (part of the Gospel reading for Sunday 4 August) follows the account of Jesus feeding a multitude in the wilderness. The Lectionary lets us spend the next few weeks working through Jesus’ ongoing discussion about this incident (the “Bread of Life discourses”) as we reflect on what it might mean for us. The crowd who have followed Jesus talk about the manna, the miraculous bread God provided in the wilderness (see Exodus 16:1–36) and through which Israel learned to trust God’s word. Manna (the word comes from the Hebrew for “what is it?”) is described as being "a fine flaky substance” like frost on the ground.
John here presents Jesus as manna. Jesus explains how the manna God gave previously is now available to them, through him, as he tells them “I am the bread of life.” This is the first of Jesus’ seven “I am” sayings, each of which develops an important aspect of who he is.
How is Jesus like the manna? Manna was a sign of God’s love and provision for the Hebrew people wandering through the wilderness on their way from slavery in Egypt to new life in the promised land. The people had been saved from the pursuing Egyptian army at the Red Sea, but they still had to learn to trust God to meet their needs. Indeed for most of their journey, every time things got difficult (hunger, thirst, etc.) they complained and wanted to turn back to Egypt. Whenever I read the Exodus stories I think how similar the Hebrews were to us: when things get tough we too can find ourselves complaining and wanting to go back to a past which we view through rose-coloured glasses.
The crowd whom Jesus had fed wants him to repeat signs they already know— by feeding them daily in this wilderness. They misunderstand what Jesus is offering and what this might mean for them. As manna, Jesus is the trusted source of life. Those who “consume” him, those who believe, remain with him and trust him will be part of the new sort of life God is offering.
What does this mean for us? I think it says something about trusting God, trusting that God loves us and wants to provide for us, even when – especially when – things get tough. It’s also an encouragement to continue to ponder on Jesus’ words “I am the bread of life” for a while longer.
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