A Glimpse of Spirituality 靈修一瞥144 (John 若6:24-35)                                                        

 

Anxious to find their miracle-working provider of the messianic manna, the people hailed boats for Capernaum. They seek Jesus. According to their partial faith, they had several questions for Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus answered them with his authority as the Son of God.

 

The first question: “Rabbi, when did you come here?” This trivial question leads Jesus to instruct the crowd on the need to search for the food that endures to eternal life: belief in the one whom God has sent.

The second question: “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you?” Jesus is asked for miracle-working credentials that surpass Moses’ gift of the manna. He points to the true bread from heaven.

The third is a request: “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus reveals himself as the true bread from heaven, the only one able to make God known and give eternal life.

 

In summary of the three answers of Jesus’ self-revelation, he instructs the people that they are to work not for the bread that fills their bellies, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures. For this eternal food they must work.

 

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” The term “life” (zōēs) means eternal life in Johannine theology. This “life” can be eaten because Jesus names it “bread.” After eating and digesting the ordinary bread, people’s health will be strengthened so that they are able to carry on their earthly lives. However, Christians will be digested by Jesus’ bread of life while they eat his bread. This is one of the self-revelations of Jesus as well as he said “I am.” In other words, he is eternal life that can be eaten. What “eating” here means committing lives into the life of Jesus as he underscored: “he who believes in me shall never thirst.” Christians will be assimilated by Jesus to his eternal life.

 

The people still asked, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus’ food is to do the will of God as Jesus said in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.” The only way to do the work of God is to believe in Jesus whom God has sent.

 

The giver and the gift are one and the same. As the bread of life from heaven, Jesus claims that only he can satisfy human’s spiritual hunger. Through God’s infinite love we are given, this bread of life - which is Jesus himself - gives humankind a new relationship with God, a relationship of self-giving love. We are lighted up by the bread of life and now, it is our turn to light up the sinful world by our faith.

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人們急於找到能為他們提供默西亞瑪納的奇蹟締造者，於是他們乘船到葛法翁尋找耶穌。縱然人們向耶穌提出多個膚淺問題；耶穌卻細心以天主子權柄回答他們。

問題一：“辣彼，你什麼時候到了這裡？”這簡單問題讓耶穌教導眾人尋找永生食糧的必要，就是相信天主派來的人子。

問題二：“你行什麼神蹟給我們看，好叫我們信服你呢？”耶穌被群眾要求提供超越梅瑟瑪納奇蹟的憑證；耶穌卻指向另一種來自天上的真實食糧。

第三個是請求：“主！你就把這樣的食糧常常賜給我們吧！”耶穌自我啟示為來自天上的真實食糧，他是唯一能使人認識天主並能賜予永生的。

總結耶穌啟示的三個答案，他教導人們不要為了填飽肚子的食糧而拼命，更不要為腐朽食物而工作，而是必須為了永恆食糧而活而工作。

耶穌說：“我就是生命的食糧；到我這裡來的，永遠不會飢餓；信從我的，總不會渴。”“生命”（zōēs）一詞在若望神學中解作永生。這“生命”是可以吃的，因為耶穌把它命名為“食糧”。吃一般食物並且消化之後，會增強人的健康，繼續塵世生活。然而，基督徒在吃生命之糧時，卻被耶穌的生命消化；這是耶穌自我啟示之一：“我是”。換言之，他是永生，他可以被“吃掉”。這裡的“吃”意味著將生命投入耶穌的生命中，即他所說的“信從我的，總不會渴”；因為基督徒將被耶穌吸收，進入永生。

人仍然問：“我們該做什麼，才算做天主的事業呢？”耶穌的食物就是遵行天主旨意：“我的食物就是承行派遣我者的旨意，完成他的工程。”（若4:34）實行天主工作的唯一方法，就是相信天主所派來的耶穌。

送禮者和禮物是同一個。作為來自天上的生命之糧，耶穌宣稱只有他才能滿足人的精神飢餓。通過天主賜給我們無限的愛，這生命之糧，即耶穌自己，給天人之間建立愛的關係。

基督徒先被生命之糧照亮，因此有能力以信仰照亮黑暗世界。