“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (Jn.6:27)
After Jesus had fed the multitude by multiplying the bread near the Sea of Tiberias, he slipped away to Capernaum on the other shore, to get away from the crowd that wished to make him king. Even so, many went to look for him and caught up with him. He, however, did not accept their overly self-interested enthusiasm. They had eaten miraculous bread, but they had stopped short at the material advantage without grasping the deep meaning of that bread which showed Jesus to be sent by the Father to give true life to the world. They saw him merely as a wonder worker, an earthly Messiah, able to get them material bread in abundance and on the cheap. In this context Jesus says to them these words:
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
The ‘food that endures’ is the person of Jesus himself and it is also his teaching, since Jesus’ teaching is one and the same with his person. When we read Jesus’ other words later on, we see that this ‘bread that endures’ is also identified with Jesus’ Eucharistic body. So, we can say the ‘bread that endures’ is Jesus in person, who gives himself to us in his Word and in the Eucharist.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
The image of bread is often used in the Bible, as is the image of water. Bread and water represent the basic foods indispensable for human life. Now, by applying the image of bread to himself, Jesus means that his person, his teaching are indispensable for the spiritual life of human beings, just as bread is for the life of the body. Material bread is certainly necessary. Jesus himself provides it miraculously for the crowds. But on its own it is not enough. Human beings bear in themselves, perhaps without fully knowing it, a hunger for truth, justice, goodness, love, purity, light, peace, joy, infinity, eternity, that nothing in the world can satisfy. Jesus offers himself as the only one capable of satisfying the inner hunger of humanity.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
In presenting himself as the ‘bread of life’, however, Jesus is not limiting himself to affirming the need to feed on him, and so believe in his word, in order to have eternal life. But he wants to encourage us to have an experience of him. Indeed, when he says, ‘work for the food that does not perish,’ he gives us an urgent invitation. He means that we must be involved seriously, do every possible thing needed to have this food. Jesus does not impose himself, but he wants to be discovered, he wants to be experienced.
Certainly by their own strength alone human beings cannot reach Jesus. They can do it as a gift from God. Nonetheless, Jesus continually invites people to put themselves in a position to receive the gift of himself, which he wishes to give. And it is precisely by striving to put the Word into practice that human beings come to full faith in him, to taste his Word as one would taste sweet-smelling and flavoursome bread.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
The Word of Life is not about a specific point of Jesus’ teaching (such as forgiving offences, detachment from riches and so on), but it brings us back to the very root of Christian life, which is our personal relationship with Jesus.
I think that those who have started living the Word with commitment, and especially the commandment of love for our neighbour (the summary of all the words of God and of all the commandments) sense at least in some small way that Jesus is the ‘bread’ of their lives, able to satisfy the desires of their hearts, the source of their joy, of their light. By putting the Word into practice they have at least begun to taste it as the true answer to the problems of humanity and of the world. And, since Jesus, the ‘bread of life’, gives the supreme gift of himself in the Eucharist, they go spontaneously to receive the Eucharist with love, and it has an important place in their lives.
Those of us who have had this amazing experience must not keep it for ourselves. With the same concern that Jesus urges us to work for the ‘bread of life’, we should communicate it to others so that they may find in Jesus what their hearts have always sought. It is an enormous act of love for our neighbours because already from this earth they can know what true life is and they will have the life that does not die. And what more could anyone want?
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 1:39-56
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechari’ah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 10:32-45
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.” 35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb’edee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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