The not-so-living bread.

John 6.25-26.

The Galileans had come to the conclusion—maybe not in the right way, and certainly not with all the correct ideas, but nevertheless the correct conclusion—that Jesus is the Prophet-Like-Moses. As a result they were chasing him all over the lake. After all, Jesus had fed ’em bread, just like Moses fed the Hebrews manna. So he’s obviously the Prophet. And he’s gonna work with Messiah to overthrow the Romans, and all sorts of other End Times rubbish which Pharisees had been teaching them. But, y’know, free bread!

Anyway, they returned to Jesus’s home base of Capharnaum, and here he is! So… now what’s he gonna do? Hm? Hm?

John 6.25 KWL

Finding Jesus on the far side of the lake,

the crowd say, “Rabbi, when did you² get here?”

In John, Jesus doesn’t bother to answer their question. He does that sometimes. I suspect it’s because he knows their real question. It’s not the one they say out loud; it’s not the one they hypocritically try to pass off as real concern or real devotion. It’s the self-interested, self-seeking, selfish desires they have deep at the core of ’em. And lest you bash the ancient Israelis for doing this, we Christians all too often do the very same thing. Jesus sees right through us too.

So whenever Jesus’s answers look like non-sequiturs, they’re not really. Jesus responds to what people are thinking, not what they’re saying. Yep, he can read your mail. Any prophet can, and he’s the Prophet, remember?

John 6.26 KWL

In reply Jesus tells the crowd, “Amen amen!

I promise you² you² seek me,

not because you see miracles,

but because you² eat of the bread²

and are filled.”

In other words, they’re not coming to him because he’s the Prophet, and hears God, and can tell ’em what God wants them to hear. They’re not coming to him because of the miracles which indicate this is a guy to heed. They’re coming to him because he fed them. He gave ’em bread. Free bread! Unlimited free bread!

I mean, getting bread back then took work. You had to plant grain, wait a few months, harvest whatever grew, dry it, crush it to powder, mix this flour with water and add it to your starter, wait a day for the yeast to infest it, bake it on your clay oven, and then you could eat it. Jesus skipped every single one of these steps, and there was so much bread they had baskets of leftovers. Well, they want miracle bread. Do it again!

Okay, but… y’know, the guy hears God. (Infallibly hears God, unlike so many wannabe prophets nowadays.) Wouldn’t you wanna hear from God? Wouldn’t you like to have a deeper relationship with him? Wanna grow closer to your Father who loves you?

Nah; just the bread please.

It’s just like the “prosperity gospel.” They want all the treasures of heaven, but don’t want the Father. Don’t want God’s kingdom. They expect to go to heaven when they die, but never intend to make themselves suitable inhabitants for it; they figure that’ll somehow be magically done for them. They expect to love God then, rejoice to see their Father then, but don’t care to seek his face now. They just want material things and pleasant feelings now.

This was nothing new to Jesus. The Hebrews of Moses’s day were just the same way. The Israelis of David and Solomon’s day—same deal. Christians today—same same. People wanna feel justified and sanctified and “spiritual,” without actually obeying the Holy Spirit. ’Twas ever thus.

And Jesus has so much better for us in mind.

But there’s nothing wrong with wanting bread!

Various preachers love to claim Jesus’s response to the people seeking free bread, is to rebuke them for seeking free handouts. He didn’t come to earth to teach people to expect or demand handouts. Stop demanding such things of God, you lazy bums. He who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat!

Whenever I hear this, it’s just obvious to me they didn’t really study the text; they’re just preaching their stingy politics instead of proclaiming God’s kingdom. God doesn’t want us to depend on him for daily bread? I know they know the Lord’s Prayer; did they ever pay attention to the words of it? “Give us this day our daily bread” Mt 6.11 KJV is what we’re meant to pray. We’re meant to be dependent on God. What bible are they reading?

You do realize God gave the Hebrews free manna for 40 years. The only work they had to do for it, was go pick it off the ground and stick to a liter a day. (Two liters Friday; no liters Saturday. Sabbath, y’know.) No planting, no watering, no waiting, no harvesting, no winnowing, no grinding—just free manna. As easy as when we buy flour at the grocery store; easier ’cause you pay nothing. You wanna agitate about handouts? You need to learn about God’s generosity, ’cause you’re deficient in it.

Free bread—free food in general—is one of the traits of Kingdom Come. Because of sin, humanity was cursed to toil for our food. Ge 3.17 Once God deals with our sin, that curse gets lifted; no more toil! That’s why people expect “eternal rest” in heaven—and eternal rest in God’s kingdom. The ancient Israelis expected it too. That’s why, after one of Jesus’s sermons, when his students walked round handing out free bread which the Israelis never had to work for, they saw for themselves a profound sign of Kingdom Come. Unfortunately they missed the point entirely, and only focused on the bread.

And stingy Christians likewise miss the point entirely—and rebuke the signs of Kingdom Come, and preach capitalism and scarcity and toiling for our food. When Jesus talks about the bread of life, that goes over their heads too. They’re just as fixated on material wealth as those who covet it.

Ah well. Don’t seek perishable bread, is Jesus’s next statement; seek eternal bread. Don’t lose sight of what’s properly important in God’s kingdom. Don’t miss the point because your stomach is growling, nor because you despise the idea of able-bodied people getting freebies they didn’t earn. God wants to bless his kids with himself, with living bread. Stop fixating on material stuff.