13-Apr-16

Gospel JN 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
Reflection:
"Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger......"
It is interesting that Jesus described himself as the "bread of life."
The history of bread goes back some 30,000 years. Bread was the stable food of the masses throughout the world. It still is in many poorer countries.
In telling people He was "the bread of life," Jesus was saying that He was the One who would sustain their lives.
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me...."
Many people either fail to "come to" Jesus, or turn away from Him out of fear of rejection. They see their sins and failings as making them unworthy and unwanted by God.
But, Jesus promises that if we turn to Him, we will not be rejected. Jesus loves us and calls us into a personal relationship with Him in spite of our sinfulness. As we are told in Romans 5:8: "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us."
"And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me
but that I should raise it on the last day."
Much of the bread made in Jesus' day was unleavened, or flat bread without yeast, and it did not rise.
But, Jesus is the bread that rises.
We do not have to be perfect to come to Jesus. He loves us and accepts us in our brokenness. We need only to turn to Him and say, "I believe in you Lord," and He will raise us up.
"I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me."
The "one who sent" Jesus is His Father and ours. It is
the Father's will that He should "not lose" any of His
children, but that we should all return home to Him.

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" - - John 14:2