Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2024

John 6, 51-58

Rev. Neli Miranda

 

Today, as we continue reading John Chapter 6, we find Jesus revealing himself as the living bread that descended from heaven. Following the feeding of the five thousand with bread and fish, Jesus spoke about the food that endures for eternal life and urged his followers, “Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man [Jesus] will give you” (6,27).  In the Gospel of John, the concept of eternal life transcends a mere perpetuation of life after death; it signifies a full life, an intimate communion with God that begins in the present. Jesus, the provider of this gift, invites his listeners to believe in him and partake of the bread he offers to experience this profound relationship with God. Here, Jesus transitions the discourse from the physical bread he distributed among the multitude of five thousand to the bread from heaven he embodies for the people.

As Jesus revealed himself as the one sent by God who descended from heaven to give life to humanity, some in the crowd asked him for a sign to authenticate his identity, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?” (6,30). Through these questions, these people were comparing Jesus to Moses.  They had been taught that it was Moses who gave them not only the law but also provided them bread, the manna in the wilderness. They were seeking for a sign, a demonstration from Jesus to establish his credentials as the one sent by God.  In essence, they were asking Jesus, “Are you greater than Moses?”

In response, Jesus clarified, “…it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven” (6,32). Then, Jesus identified himself as the true bread given by God to offer life to the whole world, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (6,35).  Indeed, Jesus surpassed Moses for he is the true bread descending from heaven like the manna, yet imperishable unlike the manna of old. He offers not only physical life but also eternal, abundant life! 

Jesus responded to his challengers by offering them a sign, declaring, "...and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (6,51).   In this statement, Jesus reveals that his mission, as the one sent by God, will culminate in sacrifice - on the cross, where his body will be broken and his blood shed. Jesus himself embodies the living bread, broken, and given to nourish the world!

When Jesus speaks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, he is using symbolic language and calling his listeners to believe in him as the one sent by God, to partake of his bread, his teachings, and then to enter a deep relationship with God and to live fully satisfied.  Upon hearing Jesus’ statements, the Jews who were present began to question among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (6,52). Their reaction reflected their continued rejection of Jesus’ authority and questioned who Jesus was. Could Jesus, this man, offer that bread that satisfies hunger in a manner greater than the manna and Moses’ law??  Jesus repeated again, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you (6,53).

By this statement, Jesus prefigures the sacrament of the Eucharist, which in the first century was known as the Lord's Supper or the breaking of bread, where believers gathered to partake of the body and blood of Jesus through consecrated bread and wine. By participating in this ritual, believers remembered the life of Jesus, his commitment, and his sacrifice on the cross. Eating the bread and drinking the wine was a subversive act against the powers of evil and death that dominated the first century. Through this ritual, they proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God who brings life to the world.

Sisters and brothers, today we continue to make the Bread of Life present in our world as we participate in the Holy Eucharist. Through our participation, we recall the night when Jesus was handed over to suffering and death, when he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take, eat: This is my Body which is given for you.” He also took the cup of wine, saying, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood, which is shed for you..." Therefore, through our participation in the Eucharist, we are nourished with the Bread of Life, Jesus. We are nourished with his life, his teachings, his love, and his solidarity. In this way, just as the early Christians did, when we participate in the Holy Eucharist, we engage in a trans-formative act within a world governed by an anti-life system. By partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we are empowered to become bread that vitalizes and sustains the world. 

Today, I also invite you to celebrate and honor St. Mary the Mother of our Lord, who witnessed the breaking of Jesus’ body, the Bread of Life. On August 15^th, our Christian tradition celebrated the day of St. Mary. So, today, let’s honor the mother of Our Lord, the young woman from Nazareth who willingly carried the Bread of Life within her womb, who tenderly nurtured the young Jesus, and later walked alongside him as a devoted disciple. We celebrate her unwavering dedication that led her to the foot of the cross; we celebrate her faith and love, which transformed pain, suffering, and death into life and love. May she stand with us, just as she stood by Jesus at the cross.

Amen.