Word to the Wise
Monday, April 19, 2021 - 3rd Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 6:8-15 and John 6:22-29]"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the good that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." [John]
I think most of us have had the experience of watching in person or on media a famous magician or illusionist or escape artist perform and asking, "How did he or she DO that?" We don't ask, "WHO is he or she?" They are "famous" because of the particular action they perform, and not because they have some other great purpose for being!
The crowds scurry around to find boats, etc., to find Jesus so they can question him about how he managed to feed them or they just want more food. Misunderstanding of Jesus' "signs" or statements ("Amen, amen, I say to you....) is a major feature of the Gospel According to John. When the crowds ask him how they might perform the "works of God," Jesus doesn't give instructions on how to multiply bread but tells them: "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
Over the next several days, the discourse (another major feature) that follows on the multiplication of the loaves and fishes will open up a world of understanding that underlies our faith as expressed in the celebration of the Eucharist. Scripture scholars call this "the Bread of Life" discourse. The crowd focused on the "bread" and not on the "life." Jesus will challenge us to focus on the "life!" AMEN