“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35 ESV).
Most people will know about Jesus’ “bread of life” declaration, pero malamang hindi pa nila nakikita yung mala-comedy na nangyari dito. Actually, maraming medyo nakakatawa dito sa chapter na ‘to, pero heto yung isa.
Jesus: Ang Diyos Ama – at hindi si Moses – ang nagbibigay ng da best na tinapay. Ito yung tinapay na nagbibigay ng buhay, at kung sinuman ang kumain nito ay hindi na magugutom.
Mga Judio: Yown! Yan ang gusto namin. Bigyan mo kami n’yan!
Jesus: Ako ang tinapay na ‘yan. Bread of life, Jesus = same.
Mga Judio:…
Madalas sa buhay, ang gusto lang natin ay yung feeling ng satisfaction. Whatever form that takes, we want it – money, gadgets, convenience, travel, stuff, power and influence, sex, relationships, mga taong nagmamahal sa atin at ibinibigay kung ano yung gusto natin.
Jesus is telling us that our desires are set too low. These things may satisfy in the now, but will always – ALWAYS – fade away at some point in time. He is asking us to set our targets higher, and make our desires and hunger stronger for the things that cannot be taken away from us. He asks us to desire for that which will satisfy our thirsts and hungers deeply.
Jesus says, “Hunger for me.”
In Jesus, all my hunger shall be satisfied with a feast and food that tastes better than any I have imagined (Isaiah 55:2). My soul that pangs and thirsts for love and acceptance will find its home in him. Think of it – all our desires satisfied, all our thirsts slaked, all our deepest wants given. In him. In Jesus Christ alone.
Sadly, the Jews couldn’t even begin to understand what Jesus was offering. Their minds went only as deep as their stomachs. Even the apostles couldn’t get it. “This is difficult teaching,” they complained. Some of us might respond in the same way. But hopefully some of us will respond as Peter did.
We have all the revelation of God wrapped up in one book – the Bible. In it, we have everything we need to understand what God wants us to know. Peter only had Old Testament knowledge, and then he had Jesus in the flesh. When asked if he would rather go away than face this “difficult teaching,” he responded in the best way possible – the way you and I should respond when Jesus asks us to sacrifice our selfish and short-term wants for something infinitely satisfying.
Treasuring Christ PH 