Sunday Gospel and Reading Commentary

The 18^th Sunday of Ordinary Time,  5^th of August,  2018

Lectionary readings: Ex.16:2-4, Ps.78:3-4, Eph.4:17, John 6:24-35

Author: Rita Kammermayer

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John uses a distinct vocabulary in the gospel and such words as truth, life, light carry a spiritual significance. Frequently, he has a dialogue as the focus of the teaching in which clarification and strengthening of faith would be possible. The people who had witnessed the multiplication of the loaves now followed Jesus and expected to be fed again. There was much misunderstanding and confusion in how they heard the words that Jesus spoke to them.

 

There were others too, who found the sayings of Jesus hard to understand and accept, namely Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. Both lacked understanding but in the case of the Samaritan woman, she was persistent and earnestly wanted to understand more, whereas Nicodemus seemed stuck in his thinking and unable to move ahead. Often the apostles failed to understand Jesus’ words and we too, frequently miss the point!

 

The crowds put demands on Jesus as he tried to raise their minds from purely earthly things. Their focus was on being full and they failed to understand what had really happened the previous day. In actuality, they wanted a miracle worker who would satisfy all their needs! They did not grasp the fact that the Father is the source of this food and that these loaves of bread were a sign of God’s care for the people. In reality, they only knew of physical hunger, not of a spiritual hunger.

 

In a series of questions, Jesus tried to enlighten them. He told them that he himself is the one who feeds them with eternal food. “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that the Father has set his seal.” (6:27) They asked him, “What must we do to perform the works of God,” Jesus emphatically explained, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (6:29) “Therefore, to do the works of God they must join the work of God, to enter into the identity and mission of ‘him whom he has sent.’ (24:29)   The external works have to connect with inner consciousness.” (Shea, 196)

 

Throughout the dialogue Jesus redirected their attention as to who gave the manna in the desert.  In their minds they saw Jesus as a prophet like Moses. They failed to think of associating Jesus with the Father. The manna in the desert did not validate Moses but was meant to reveal God.  Jesus informed them that Moses was not the true giver, but the Father was and that the giving was not only in the past. Now, in the present, the bread of God has come down from heaven in the person of Jesus. The Father is the ultimate giver of the true bread from heaven which he gives at all times.

 

“The contrast is to the bread Moses gave in the desert; the manna was not really ‘bread from heaven’ (6:32). Only Jesus is that genuine bread (6:55) because he descends from God and offers his life that comes from God, for the bread of God is that which comes from heaven and gives life to the world.” (6:33)   (Johnson, 486)

 

Jesus affirmed that this food is the spiritual life of the world and when they asked for this bread, he declared, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (6:35) Therefore, whoever comes to Jesus will enter into a relationship with him. The Father has established this way of entering into eternal life.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: “To see is not necessarily to believe but belief makes one see things as they truly are.” (Johnson, 437)

 

Bibliography: R.Brown, J.Fitzmeyer, R.Murphy, The Jerome Biblical Commentary,(Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 1996), Luke T. Johnson, The writings of the New Testament, (Fortress Press, Philedelphia,1986,) John Shea, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers, (Collegeville, 2005)

 

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This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Rita Kammermayer, nds, BA, B.Ed, Masters of Pastoral Studies, Jerusalem

Bat Kol alumni 2001

ritakammermayer@netscape.net

Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

 

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

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