but rather, the disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias landed near
the place where all these people had eaten the bread. When they saw that neither
Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum
looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him,
“Master, when did you come here?” Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, you look for
me, not because of the signs which you have seen, but because you ate bread and were
satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life.
The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one on whom the Father has put his mark.”
Then the Jews asked him, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to
do?” And Jesus answered them, “The work God wants is this: that you believe in the
One whom God has sent.”
Reflect
“Believe in Jesus Christ.” The purpose of the Gospel of John is clearly indicated in John
20:30-31. It states that Jesus performed signs in order for people to believe, and in
believing they may have life in Jesus’ name (cf. Jn. 20:30-31). Jesus came to bring life
in its fullness (cf. Jn. 10:10). Today’s Gospel emphasizes the work of God (ton ergon tou theou),
which is the profound call to believe in the one sent by God. God sent Jesus Christ, his Son,
to save the world. However, the salvation which God offers through Jesus is wholistic. It
concerns the people’s material wellbeing but is not limited to corporeal concerns. Jesus
multiplied the barley loaves and fish so that the hungry crowd may be corporeally satisfied.
Nevertheless, it also aims that people would see the sign as an invitation to grow in their
faith in Jesus. Otherwise, since there is no satiation to human corporeal desire, people might
be confined to materiality. The material aspect is merely a fraction of our life. To search
for Jesus with such aspect as the sole motivation will surely derail our focus, preventing
us to truly partake of the bread that lasts to eternal life.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2024
