Jesus Promises to Give the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:24-72)
Many of those who had been miraculously fed by Our Lord returned next morning to Capharnaum, where they sought and found Him in the synagogue.1 Here Jesus addressed them, saying: “Amen, amen, I say to you: You seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth,2 but for that which endureth3 unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
Then they said to Him: “Lord, give us always4 this bread.” But He answered: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. The bread which I will give is my flesh for the life5 of the world.”
Hearing this, the Jews who were in the synagogue began to dispute among themselves, saying: “How can this man6 give us His flesh to eat?” Jesus, far from putting an end to their dispute, by applying a figurative meaning to His words, repeated7 with even greater earnestness and solemnity what He had spoken: “Amen, amen, I say unto you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, the same shall also live by Me.8 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and died. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.”
Many of the disciples, hearing these words, did not believe it possible that He could do what He promised; they, therefore, went away,9 saying: “This word is hard,10 and who can hear it?”11 But Jesus, knowing that they murmured at His teaching, asketh: “Doth this scandalize you? If then12 you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.13 The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.14 But there are some of you that believe not.”15 But they were scandalized, and many of them walked no more16 with Him.
Jesus, seeing this, addressed His apostles: “Will you also17 go away?” Peter answered18 in the name of all: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. We have believed and have known that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God.”
Commentary
Application
These words of our Blessed Lord ought to move all of you who are going to make your First Communion, to prepare yourselves with the utmost care for receiving this Divine Food.
Each time you enter a church where the Blessed Sacrament is preserved, excite in your hearts an act of firm and lively faith in the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Endnotes) 1 The synagogue.
When they found Him, they asked: “Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?” They could not understand when and how Jesus, who, as they knew, had not embarked with
His disciples, could have come to Capharnaum. He did not answer their questionings, but uttered to them a reproach which proved Him to be a discerner of their hearts.
2
Which perisheth. i.
e. earthly food.
3
Which endureth.
You seek me so as to obtain food which can sustain your mortal life. I, however, fed you in that wonderful manner in order that, your faith being awakened, you might be prepared to receive that food which will give unto you everlasting life.
4
Give us always.
The Jews, being fleshly-minded, could not perceive the meaning of our Lord’s words. They thought He was promising them some miraculous earthly food, such as the manna, the receiving of which would take away all necessity of providing for their daily bread. Therefore they exclaimed eagerly “Lord, give us always this bread!” using words very similar to those used by the woman of Samaria.
5
For the life.
Thus our Lord promised
1)
to give,
i.e.
, to sacrifice His human Body (His Flesh and Blood) for the life of the world, and
2)
to give His Body to be our food. And in this sense the Jews, as we shall see, understood His words.
6
How can this man.
The incredulity of the Jews contrasts jarringly with the great promises of our Lord. Setting aside all respect for Him, they spoke of Him as “this man,” and loudly disputed with one another, how it was possible for Jesus to give them His flesh to eat and His Blood to drink. Our Lord wished them to believe the fact, and leave the
how
to Him.
7
Repeated.
Our Lord does three things: 1)
He insists that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. 2) He threatens the unbeliever with loss of eternal life.
3)
He comforts the believer with the assurance of eternal life.
8
Live by Me.
Because His Flesh and Blood are inseparably united to Himself, the Son of God. So intimate is the union with Him of those who receive Him that He compares it to the union between the Father and the Son. God the Father has life in Himself, and I, as God, have life from Him.
9
Went away.
Our Lord’s promises were by no means favourably received. Not only did the Jews remain incredulous, but even many of His disciples, who had hitherto followed Him, took scandal at His words.
10
This word is hard.
Or repulsive.
11
Who can hear it?
Or believe it.
12
If then.
Our Lord made one more attempt to win them to faith. “Does this offend, or scandalize you?” said He. “But if you see me, the Son of Man, go up to heaven with My glorified Body, will you not then believe that I can give My Body to you to be your Food? Will you even then be so carnally-minded, and receive My words so badly?”
13
Profiteth nothing.
Flesh, as flesh, cannot give life; but you must not think of the dead flesh, for it is a question of the Flesh of the Son of Man, in which dwells the Spirit of God, glorifying it and filling it with divine power. My Flesh, united to the Spirit of God, has life-giving power.
14
Spirit and life
. For the Flesh which I mean is penetrated by the Spirit and united to the living Godhead.
15
Believe not.
In spite of all the miracles which they have seen.
16
Walked no more.
They went back to their ordinary way of living and to their various occupations. Their chief object in following our Lord had been the hope which they built on an earthly Messias, and they cared nothing for our Lord’s spiritual and supernatural promises. From henceforward they formed a part of the unbelieving mass of Jews. However, besides the twelve apostles, there still remained faithful the seventy-two disciples, as well as some other disciples, and the holy women who followed our Lord. Thus were His disciples sifted. Those whose vocation was real, and whose faith was firm, remained with Jesus; whereas many of the weak and wavering could not stand the test to which their faith was put, and left Him.
17
Will you also.
Jesus made no further attempt to keep back those who wished to leave Him. On the contrary, He searchingly asked the apostles: “Will you also go away?” He left it to their free-will to forsake Him if they chose, and forced them to make a clear and open declaration of their intentions.
18
Peter answered.
Peter, the head and mouthpiece of the Church, made this beautiful answer in the name of the rest: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (who but Thou canst lead us unto life?) Thou hast the words of eternal life, words of eternal truth which lead men to eternal life. And even if we cannot understand the mysterious words which Thou hast spoken, still we do not doubt them, but believe them, because we have believed and, through faith, have known that Thou art Christ the Son of God. Thus the apostles stood the test splendidly. They remained true to our Lord, openly confessed Him to be the Son of God, and placed themselves in opposition to their unbelieving fellow-countrymen.