August 8, 2021 – Pentecost 11B – John 6:35, 41-51 – The Reverend Paul Kett
Today we continue to delve into John’s Gospel, and particularly chapter 6. For six Sundays we are taking a break from Mark’s Gospel, our usual reading for Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary. We have heard John’s version of the feeding of the multitude, we have been introduced to the first of John’s seven “I am” sayings, and today we will hear more of what that saying meant for Jesus and those who heard his words, and for us as well.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”.
So, what then did the people hear – both those who had been fed by him and continued to follow him, and also those whom John calls “the Jews”, but who might be better seen as “the Jewish or Temple authorities” – what did they hear in the words, “I am the bread of life”? I would suggest that in these six words, probably fewer in the original language, two very important understanadings were presented. First, “I am”, the common translation of the words Moses heard the voice of God proclaim when Moses first encountered God and asked, “Who are you?” God’s reply was “I AM WHO I AM!”, or, more correctly, according to some scholars, “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.” So, Jesus may well have been heard to say, “I am” – I am God.
This is followed immediately by the words, “bread of life”. I am the bread that came down from heaven. And in hearing these words, his followers would recall the story of the Exodus, God’s promise of freedom, and the ways that God sustained the people during their forty years in the wilderness. In the Hebrew scriptures, the Book of Exodus records the strict instructions God gave for the harvest and use of manna. It seems that this was the only sustenance during these wilderness years, and it was harvested each morning, for each of the six days preceding Sabbath. A defined amount was to be taken; it would not carry over to the next day, but, instead, would spoil and become inedible. The only exception was the Sabbath when none fell to earth. Instead, two portions were to be harvested on the morning before Sabbath, and some would still be edible the next day. Manna from heaven, sustenance for God’s people in the wilderness.
In my youth, we sang a song in our all-age Sunday School, called “Dwelling in Beulah Land”. The words described a perfect place, called Beulah Land, referenced in the Book of Isaiah, where lived God’s people. It was, perhaps, a description of God’s Commonwealth, or even Holy Zion or Paradise. The refrain was:
I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky,
I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry;
Oh, yes! I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.
So God provided a bountiful supply of heavenly bread, and although the wilderness of Sinai was far from a perfect place, still the people called out by God were provided food to sustain them.
So, this is what the people understood by what Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Some understood and believed, others refused, and rejected him.
Jesus’ teaching about bread and sustenance for all calls us to examine life today. Most of us – probably all of us, have more than enough to eat day by day. A visit to any farmers’ market would quickly paint a picture of extreme plenty, tremendous variety, mouth-watering goodness, more than enough for everyone. Many have the option of growing some of their own food. It is possible to purchase foods from near, and far, foods which are not or cannot be grown locally. We may take all of this for granted. We have come to expect that food security is a part of our lifestyle. Even the exiles returning to God’s promised land in the exodus from Egypt were sustained by food – food from heaven. They probably did not relish the sameness of diet day after day after day, but they were nourished and strengthened despite the total lack of variety in what they ate.
As fortunate as we, and many in our world are, food security and sustainability are huge problems for many others. The common underlying concept of food security is that “all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. In Canada, it is estimated that [the value of] food wasted annually is worth more than $25 billion. Food security is affected by a variety of factors – conflict, our climate crisis, and the COVID pandemic to name three. There are more. From our position of privilege, we may share sympathy for those who struggle to feed their families, or have access to clean water, but we don’t always share empathy. To me, empathy leads to action. Now let me assure you that neither my wish, nor my goal is to make anyone feel guilty that we have more than enough food and drinkable water, while others do not. Rather I would call us back to Jesus and how he described himself when he stated, “I am the bread of life”. So my questions to myself are: “How can I share this bread with others? What part can I play in the huge task of equalizing resources so that all can receive what they require? How can my actions demonstrate the empathy, the love that Jesus showed to those who followed him? What can our community continue to do to ensure that food and water is available to all? You may wish to adopt these questions, or pose others, and look for ways to answer them. This, I believe is the mandate and the calling of the one who said, “I am” . . . “I am the bread of life. . . This is the bread that comes down from heaven. . . Whoever eats this bread will live forever”.