Bread for life's deepest hunger

In John 6:5 to 14 we find Jesus feeding a crowd of five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. What a great miracle! It is therefore no surprise when the crowd crosses the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias) and looks for Jesus in Capernaum, the next day. On seeing the crowd Jesus tells them, “you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill". Now wait, what is he trying to dissect – thousands indeed had their fill and they had indeed seen this miracle with their own eyes. He seems to be implying that following because they saw a miracle was right but following because they were filled is not right.

A close examination of this outburst reveals a certain disappointment in Jesus. He had hoped that they will see the feeding of thousands with little food, as a miraculous sign pointing to the presence of God among them. A statement by Jesus to a different audience underpins this expectation: "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe." (John 4: 48). Such believing will lead them towards seeking more of God himself who can fulfill their hearts’ deepest longings. But here they were, not realizing any truth but just hanging around hoping to get free food.

In Acts 8:9-19 we see a similar response from Simon when he saw people being anointed miraculously by the Holy Spirit. Simon had practiced sorcery for some time in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He had boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, had given him their attention. But when he heard Philip preach the good news of the kingdom of God, he himself believed and was baptized, and followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. Later when Simon saw that the Spirit was given when Peter and John placed their hands on the people, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:19). He too had missed the point. Instead of seeing God himself at work and holding on to him, here he was trying to maintain or better his livelihood -- he had only changed the source for his power; it was devil and sorcery earlier and he now thought it could be God.

Jesus after pointing out that they were following him so they could continue to get food, implores them “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you”. (John 6:27) Does this ring a bell? The bible says that "if for only this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men". (I Cor 15;19)

God often uses miracles that address one’s physical and material needs – success in studies, progression in career, healing, etc., - to reveal himself and to grab one’s attention so one will hold on to him unto eternal life. He says in Hosea 2:14, “I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her”. His expectation is that she will no longer call him ‘my master’ but move to a closer relationship where she calls him ‘my husband’. (Hos 2:16). In Deu 8:3 we find Moses explaining to the Israelites, “God humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. When people cling on to the blessings rather than clinging to the one who blesses, he is disappointed.

Jesus fed thousands in a miraculous way to let people see that He himself is the bread from heaven that can satisfy one’s deepest hunger -- to know God intimately and to understand God's purpose for one in this life. Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35) The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:33)

The Word of God as bread . . .

How do we live on the bread from heaven -- the word that comes from the mouth of God? Jesus said, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me". (Mat 4:4) "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work". (John 4:34) . This Jesus has now given us his word (John 17:14) and has sent us into the world just as he himself was sent by the Father (John 17:18). If we keep his word and do his will, we will feed on the bread from heaven.

The Living Word as Bread . . .

John recorded at the start of his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the word was God. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us". It is therefore not surprising that Jesus said "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him". (John 6:53-56) How do we quench the thirst and satisfy the hunger that only heaven can meet, with the word that was the express image of the invisible God? By accepting the sacrifice he made on the cross -- believing that he gave his body to be torn and shed his last drop of blood, that our sins may be forgiven and we may have eternal life. He also promises to live inside us and take us to heaven. Each time we partake in his last supper, we are reminded of his sacrifice to make us partakers of his heavenly glory and his indwelling presence to transform us from glory to glory.

Let us take our eyes from food that satisfies our physical and material needs of this life - success, prosperity, health - and set our eyes on the food from heaven that will lead us to eternal life. The word of God is the food from heaven that has come out from the mouth of God, and we feed on the heavenly manna by keeping his commandments while living on this earth. Jesus himself is the word that is the ultimate expression and revelation of who God is, who has given himself for us as the bread of life. Let us take this bread . . . have Jesus himself in us, that we may share in his glory.