Although many themes echo in
today's lessons . . . one theme stands out as uniting all of the lessons—the
Lord provides. From manna and a meal from an angel to the Bread of life and
living in Christ's love, the Lord provides. – Jeffrey Galbraith
John 6:35,
41-51
In today's Gospel reading, the
crowd is grumbling. The original word used in John's gospel for “complain” in
verse 41 was meant to be the same as the Hebrew word in Exodus for the grumbling
of the Israelites. Jesus encounters a grumbling crowd that doesn't understand
his words, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” But he perseveres: “Do not
[grumble] among yourselves.” Then follows the “bread of life” discourse, the
living bread from heaven, the new manna.
[T]he common thread . . . [in]
these readings bids us to respond to something troubling—betrayal, despair,
bitterness, slander, confusion, grumbling—with patience, mercy, hope, kindness,
and trust. – Stephen Crippen
In verses 43–50 Jesus again
explains that he is the bread of life and the only way to the Father, for he is
from God and sent by God. John's realized eschatology is clear from verse 47 in
that life/salvation is not something for later but now—“whoever believes has
eternal life.” Verse 51 is a clear reference to the Eucharist and the eating of
the bread. . . .
Life/salvation is bestowed in a
sacramental act, not in simply recognizing Jesus as the one who reveals the
Father. – Jeffrey Galbraith
When we eat the bread we enjoy the
fullest experience of the indwelling God that we have ever known. Living Bread
is what allows us to choose a different path in the world, to be living
witnesses and move closer to God and help those who come in contact with us to
move closer as well. – Mary Katharine Deeley
This food that gives life is the subject of Elijah’s
miraculous meal as a fugitive. Perhaps setting Elijah’s witness beside that of
Jesus is meant to help us to see that we are all fugitives, running from what
is dangerous and fear-inducing and therefore called by the Bread of Life to feast. Like
Elijah, we are fed and emboldened to continue our journey.
1 Kings 19:4-8
Elijah's recent confrontation with
and triumph over the priests of Baal whom he killed (18:20–40) provided the
context for this flight into the wilderness. The patron of the slain priests,
Jezebel, is now out for revenge. . . . Elijah, pictured as a second Moses
(although here he wants to “run from Yahweh”), is a pivotal figure in the
“theological” summary of Israel's history. Both clearly marked off what had
gone before from what followed. . . . In the case of Elijah it was the wide
spread worship of Baal from a return to Yahweh. – Jeffrey Galbraith
Ephesians 4:25–5:2
Paul's “rules for a new life”
bring us face to face with the demands for anyone who claims to be a
Christian. . . . “Speak the truth; don't go to sleep angry; do honest work,”
and. . . the many others serve as a reminder of our struggle to live a fully
Christian life. . . – Mary Katharine Deeley
In this 2006 issue of Homily
Service, Cheryl Magini offered a perspective from Larry Rasmussen on the
response Jesus calls for in the face of suffering. Jesus calls us to the meal –
the intimate link between liturgy and justice, sacramental practice and relief
for the weary:
“One does not need to be a keen student of society to
realize that table fellowship is itself is a reliable map of economic
well-being and discrimination, political order and differentiation, and social
hierarchy and caste. Table governance shapes communities. The practice is
distilled in how we take, bless, break, and give bread to one another.” –Practicing our Faith, Dorothy Bass, ed. (San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998), 130.
Jeffrey Galbraith is pastor of St.
Paul's Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Greenfield, MA, and a professor of business
administration at Greenfield Community College.
Stephen Crippen is a psychotherapist and a deacon in the episcopal
Diocese of Olympia, Washington.
Mary Katharine Deeley is the director of Christ the Teacher Institute of the
Sheil Catholic Center, the Roman Catholic campus ministry at Northwestern
University, Evanston, Illinois. She is the author of many books, a frequent
speaker on diverse topics, and a pastoral advisor.
Rev. Cheryl Magrini, PhD, is a United Methodist minister in Chicago, chair of the
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), and a speaker, writer, and
advocate on behalf of those living with bipolar disorder.
Homily Service 39, no. 9 (2006): 17-26.
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