The Work Given Us to Do

Today’s Gospel reading follows a long discussion begun by Jesus. The day before was the feeding of the 5000. Jesus had done the miracle as a sign of his divine messiahship, but the people hadn’t understood

John 6:26–35 (NLT) ²⁶ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.

 

John 6:27–29 (NIV84)

²⁷ “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

 

The work God wants us to do is to figure out if Jesus is worthy of our choice to believe in Him and rely upon him, then to do it.

 

³⁰ They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? ³¹ After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

 

³² Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

• What is this true bread?

 

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.“

 

⁴¹ Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

⁴³ But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said…

⁴⁷ “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.

This is about belief, not about eating bread.

⁴⁸ Yes, I am the bread of life! ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. ⁵⁰ Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die.”

 

• Why didn’t Jesus quit talking about bread from heaven and just speak plainly about what he meant? 

 

Matthew 13:10–15 (NLT) ¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.

¹² To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³ That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.

They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

• They CAN’T hear, listen, or understand. Their hearts are too calloused.

¹⁴ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,

you will not understand.

When you see what I do,

you will not comprehend.

¹⁵ For the hearts of these people are hardened,

and their ears cannot hear,

and they have closed their eyes—

so their eyes cannot see,

and their ears cannot hear,

and their hearts cannot understand,

and they cannot turn to me

and let me heal them.’

 

⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

⁵² Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

⁵³ So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

• Jesus has already equated eating and drinking with what? Believing

⁵⁴ But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood () has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.⁵⁶ Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood () remains in me, and I in him.

⁵⁷ I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

 

Every week we’re invited to the altar table to partake of the Sacramental Gifts provided by God with these words:

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

• How do we feed on him in our hearts?
• We cannot rely on last year’s .

The Bread and Wine are not just a reminder of Jesus, they are vessels that carry the of Christ.

 

When we come to the Table, we are required to examine ourselves.

• Do I truly repent of my sins and intend to lead a new life in Christ?
• Do I have a living faith in God’s mercy through Christ and remember his atoning death with a thankful heart?
• And have I shown love and forgiveness to all people?

 

We prepare ourselves to come to the Table through:

• declaring our faith in the Creed,
• the Prayers,
• the Confession,
• the Peace,
• and by reviewing the Good News of Jesus through the Liturgy of the Table

 

This is our work – to believe in Jesus.