The New Manna
In Part I we looked at how a survey of Catholics discovered that 69% of them believe that the Eucharist is a symbol. We then looked at how the manna (what is it?) God gave the Israelites in the desert also confused the people at first. Finally we looked at how fulfillments in the New Testament are always greater that what foreshadowed them in the Old Testament.
Now, let us look at the day Jesus first talked about the Eucharist. He called it, “The Bread of Life” and we call His teaching, “The Bread of Life Discourse.” This event is relayed in the Gospel of St. John, chapter 6.
One day Jesus fed over 10,000 men, women and children with bread and fish that He miraculously multiplied from only 5 loaves and 2 fish. The next day some of the disciples he fed caught up with Him. We’ll pick things up there at verse 26.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you.”
-John 6:26-27
Jesus does not want His disciples following Him just to be physically fed. He wants to spiritually feed them. It is part of our fallen human nature to seek out our physical needs before our spiritual ones. Jesus wants to change that for us. Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom” in Matthew 6:33 when referring to the Kingdom of God. This seeking of heaven first is what Jesus is trying to teach here.
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
-John 6:28-29
This is a big step. To do the “works of God” Jesus’s disciples need to believe that He IS God. Jesus is about to reveal the Eucharist to them. The Eucharist will only make sense if Jesus is God.
So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
-John 6:30-31
The Messiah (in Greek, the Christ) who the Jews were waiting for was prophesied to bring everlasting manna to the people of Israel. The Messiah was predicted to be a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). From this prophesy was the idea that the Messiah would feed the people like Moses did with the manna. This time with an everlasting manna. They are asking Jesus to do this if He is the Messiah – feed them like Moses. However, they have yet to understand that He is more than just the Messiah. His is God.
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”
-John 6:32-33
Jesus tells them that the manna was from God and that “the true bread” which was coming next is also from heaven and this bread will give “life to the world.”
They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
-John 6:34-35
The people said they wanted this bread, but they do not yet understand it because they do not believe in Jesus. Jesus tells them that He Himself is the Bread of Life, but Jesus knows they don’t believe in Him.
But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.
-John 6:36-37
The people saw Jesus and heard Jesus, but the grace coming from Jesus did not penetrate their hearts. Those who’s hearts are penetrated are described by Jesus as those “the Father gives me”, because the grace of God – which came through seeing and hearing Jesus – is from the Father.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
-John 6:38-40
All that believe in and follow the Son of God will be saved and raised from the dead to eternal life at the end of time. However, the people here get hung up on Jesus saying, “I have come down from heaven”, because they don’t believe He is God.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
-John 6:41-42
Because they knew His earthly father, Joseph and His mother Mary, they don’t think He can be from heaven.
Jesus is just beginning to show them what the Bread of Life really is! What Jesus says next blew them away! We’ll take a look at that in Part III!
Until then, spend some time in prayer considering Who Jesus is and how great is His love for you. This love is fulfilled in the gift of the Eucharist.
Sacred Thinking by Mike Denz 