John 6:30-33 Thirsty fish and a hungry Sumo
So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:30-33 NIV
If I’m keeping count, this is round 3 of this boxing match. Round 1, “How did you get here?” Round 2, “what are we to do?” And now this. So far it is Jesus that has landed the heavy blows. Now they stop pulling their punches. “Our forefathers filled their stomachs from the miraculous in the desert, so if you are who you claim to be, what else are you going to give us so we may be convinced?” (Never mind that they got tired of the manna and begged for something different even in the middle of a very unique and sustaining miracle.)
Just like those in the wilderness, they kept coming back to the miraculous and ceased being convinced by it. They forgot it’s source. It didn’t come from man, it came from God. The question they asked Jesus itself is crazy. It’s like a fish asking for a glass of water! The reason they were pursuing him in the first place, according to John 6:2, is that they were observing the supernatural signs. And just like those in the wilderness, they were not being trained by their experiences. Faith was not being produced by all that they saw and ate. It’s uncanny the similarities that John 6 has with the story of the manna in the wilderness — and since they brought it up, Jesus was going to ensure the sword cut both ways.
Take a little journey for a moment back to that time. The Israelites were in terrible captivity in which they cried to God for help. Even as they expected a deliverer, they resisted Moses. Yet God still did incredible things: the plagues, the passover, the release from Egypt with their arms full of treasures, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, the opening of the Red Sea, the crossing on dry land, the sea closing on the Egyptians. It was a parade of the miraculous and today is still a reference point of the supernatural for believers. After all that, then… they were hungry. After all they saw, and experienced, they did not trust that the “I Am” would be food for them. Then in response, on top of all the miracles of deliverance, God gave them bread from heaven. Yet, their hearts still did not see or believe. Amazing.
Fast forward to Capernaum and this showdown. The circumstances are much the same. They (and mankind) were oppressed, expecting a deliverer, and even as Jesus shows up, they resist him. Still, God did incredible things through him. He even fed them with real bread and fish. Just like the times of old their tummies were full but their hearts were unwilling to believe. In response, Jesus chisels at their rock-hard hearts to see if he can get in. It’s not time for tenderness now, only the sledgehammer will work.
The heart which relies on the mind alone will be stumbled.
The heart that creates a list of unfulfilled desires and unresolved grievances will fail to enjoy the moments and be impacted by the journey that leads us to the very fulfillment and resolution one seeks.
In the Garden, Adam traded trust for knowledge. It resulted in death. The human mind is a much too weary and an over-regarded member of our body in which to place the lofty responsibility of our well-being into its care. Jesus is purchasing back the real path to the kingdom — a healed spirit which may trust and and believe. The result is life.
The impacting message for me in these verses is this: when will the miracle that I have experienced become — commonplace, forgotten? When will I cease to be amazed at the smallest of signs and require more and greater? When will my need and my appetite supersede my worship and delight?
My granddaughter turned two yesterday. Both sets of grandparents came to her party with gifts. When opening the many gifts we brought, she treated each one with such delight. We gave her a miniature shopping cart with all sorts of play groceries. She squealed with delight when she unwrapped them. Then simply started to play. Mom had to bring her back to open the other gifts (a courtesy for those that brought them). She wasn’t looking for or expecting more. She was lost in the moment. There will be an age when a child starts the accounting of what and who — even before opening the first gift. After those early birthdays, expectation often exceeds reality. The visual reminder for me is to live in, and be thankful for the moment.
The flesh is always hungry and will always want more. Without a conscience, a friend, or the Holy Spirit, I would be a morbidly obese man — immobile at the the dining room table asking for another serving. Like a Sumo wrestler asking for another meal because he’s too skinny. Rather than sitting in unbelief asking for proof, I would rather bask in the delight of simply being! I’m a miracle. He put life in me! Where did I come from? How did my soul begin? I am from Him, for in Him is life, and the life is the light of man. Yes, the mind would like to interrupt and tell me — “I have seen many births and understand the biological process well” — trying to highjack the miracle of it all. Fortunately, I may choose what I hear. And these disciples in Capernaum may choose as well.
Jesus delivers a concussive blow just as the bell rings to end this round, setting up the next with: “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” He is linking the experiences — the bread that miraculously appeared in the wilderness has also miraculously appeared now. In him. Jesus is saying, I am that bread. Just like the manna’s source was God, I came from that same source. Just like you didn’t see when the manna appeared, you didn’t see when I appeared. Just like the manna nourished, I nourish. The biggest difference between the two experiences is that when I eat manna, I am hungry again, but when I eat Jesus, the true bread, I feast on a source that never eaten up.
The result of accepting, embracing, believing, trusting, loving and eating Jesus, is life.