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Exegesis
August
3, 2003
18th Sunday of the Year (B)
Exodus 16:2-15; Ephesians 4:17-24; John 6:24-35
“Do not work for food that perishes.” This is the Lord’s admonition
to us in this Sunday’s gospel. During these hot months of summer we are
especially watchful over the perishables in our refrigerators. And when
grocery shopping this time of year we are doubly sure to check those
expiration dates.
Of course Jesus isn’t merely
giving out home health tips. He goes on to say people should work “for
food that endures for eternal life.” His message here is part of that
wonderful presentation on the Bread of Life that makes up almost the whole
of chapter six in John’s gospel.
You remember the scene. Jesus
feeds thousands of people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. The
next day as you might expect the people are looking for a repeat
performance. But Jesus has moved on to the other side of the Sea of
Galilee. They have to cross over to find him.
If this sounds a little bit
like Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea you are not mistaken. John intends
his account here to bring to mind the great exodus from Egypt. The manna
in the desert, the crossing of the sea, the journey to a new place: all of
these unforgettable moments in Israel’s history receive new meaning with
Jesus.
But Jesus is definitely kicking
things up a notch. The people who follow Jesus are walking a journey that
leads to eternal life. Like Israel of old, they must have faith to make
the journey successfully.
So, getting back to the miracle
of the loaves, Jesus worked this miracle to awaken within the people an
awareness of the abundance available to them if they rely on God. Those
thousands who ate that day along the shores of Galilee were invited to
move beyond the physical and seek the spiritual. Bread from the oven can
satisfy hunger for a while. But Jesus is offering them bread from heaven,
bread that nourishes for eternal life, bread available to people who have
faith in Jesus Christ.
But to step beyond the tangible
world to the unseen world of faith is always difficult to make. In the
time of Moses, the people “grumbled” against the great leader and his
brother Aaron. In spite of everything God had already done for
them—escape from Egypt, walking on dry land through a sea, water in the
desert—they still found it easier to complain than to trust. They even
looked back to Egypt, recalling fondly all the food they had. They had to
be dreaming. After all, the Exodus account does not speak about any great
banquets enjoyed by the people of Israel during their long stay in Egypt.
But there is plenty about slavery and hard labor. It seems even Egypt
looks good when they are struggling with the journey of faith.
To help them make progress on
that journey of faith God gave them bread from heaven. If they can learn
to rely on God one day at a time, eventually they will grow strong enough
to trust in God’s care for them for the rest of their lives. It’s
clear the manna comes with a lesson—trust in God.
Jesus makes the same point with
the people of his day. The feeding of thousands from a few loaves of bread
comes with a lesson too—trust in Jesus who is the bread of life. And
this bread does not perish; there is no expiration date.
Rev. Timothy P. Schehr
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