Third Meditation - John 6

Here we continue with the third of our meditations on John chapter 6, keying off verse 66. Our quest in these meditations is to understand why so many of Jesus’ followers abandoned him, that in understanding why we may have greater insight into why so many today are of the same mind.  Odd as it may seem, there are some today who put forward the speculation as to whether Jesus actual is a historical figure. In today's text, verses 41 to 51, the people know well who he is as well as who his family relations are, even the work he does, he is a carpenter. (Mark 6:3)  All this we can accept as well. But Jesus is making claims that go way beyond carpentry. Jesus is making the claim that he is directly connected to God, that he is God's son sent by God from heaven into this world. When Jesus multiplied the loaves the people saw something special in him, like a prophet, an identity they understood well. Prophets were mere humans but who had been given special powers over nature by God. They also knew how essential bread is for life. Zeroing in on these well know facts, Jesus is now going to take this understanding to a whole new level. Even bread cannot prevent the inevitable - physical death. But as for "real" life there is a bread that prevents the death of this real life. And here is the shocker, Jesus says he is that bread. CONSIDER: How the sciences of our age have penetrated into the complexity of our physical life. Bread is life yes, but there is so much more to this life. Does all this knowledge help or hinder religious faith? When you hear science explain how the world works do you find yourself questioning how faith fits into all this? CONSIDER: This life or eternal life - is one more important than the other? Are they in competition with each other? (He is so heavenly minded he is no earthly good.)           CONSIDER: Today you frequently hear people say of someone who is not particularly religious, "... yes but he is such a good person". Is that not enough for eternal life? CONSIDER: When the people realized that Jesus was not going to be the answer to their worldly needs they stop following him. (Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. vs. 44) (Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. vs. 45) Having difficulty believing Jesus? Time to move from head to heart. Living, dynamic faith is a gift from the Father - it comes from outside this world. Evangelization is information about Jesus you hear announced in this world . . . . . . . . . . . but the world can neither prove it true or false.  Ask, seek, knock and then it is up to the Father as to what comes next.

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