PROPER 13 (18) – Year B
11th Sunday after Pentecost — August 4, 2024
Gospel Lectionary Text
John 6:24-35
6:24 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.
6:25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
6:26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."
6:28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"
6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
6:30 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?
6:31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
6:32 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.
6:33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
6:34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
6:35 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.
CONTEXT
Welcome to the eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. Last week, we read about Jesus nourishing 5,000 with bread and fish. Our text this week is a continuation of that story. Jesus has taken care of their physical need, and now they’ve followed Him, hungry for more.
The text is a reminder of God’s provision of manna in the wilderness. But Jesus expands their imagination. He claims to not only be the provider of the meal, but also the meal itself, which becomes even clearer at the last supper. Seeing the mystery of the meal for what it is, St. Augustine would say to those receiving communion, “Become what you receive,” which is the Body of Christ.
The image is graphic. And it’s why some considered early followers of Jesus to be cannibals. As repulsive as this image is, it’s not entirely wrong. And for those who are nourished by the Body of Christ, we participate in the “work of God,” which is to offer ourselves to a hungry world in need of great nourishment.
Question
The Greek zoen aionion is usually translated as "eternal life," but might be better translated as "life in the age to come." What if the age to come began with the resurrection? How might that change our understanding of the food Jesus offers?
Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, wild and free. Do as you please. Shine your light on me that I might see things as they are, not as I am. Free me to act in your name with courage, creativity, and compassion. See the complete prayer
Word from Below Reflections
Bread is Essential
By Rev. Sarah Wiles |
There is a tendency with this passage to spiritualize it, to contrast the bread that is made of wheat, yeast, salt, and water with bread that is made of love, justice, peace, and hope. All of which sounds nice but can taste like so much air to a hungry person.
Induction to Reality
By Kris Rocke |
If this is true, the Lord's Table is not simply a ritual performed on special occasions in clearly recognized "sacred settings" - though it is often exactly and beautifully that. Like Jesus's "I Am" statements, including his statement about being the Bread of Life, a sweeping universality is held in the particularity of this Meal.
Liturgy of Life
By Scott Dewey |
Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus modeled for us the life-long human liturgy of being taken, blessed, broken, given, and spoken into existence. This week’s lectionary passage continues a series of Gospel excerpts in which Jesus prepares for the Eucharist by proclaiming that he is the bread of life.
Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.
Weekly Homily by James Alison