Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

August 12, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: 1 Kings 19: 4-8

Psalm: 34

Second Reading: Ephesian 4: 30-5: 2

Gospel reading according to John 6: 41-51

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Homily:

The people understood what Jesus told and explained to them about the bread that came down from heaven, they learned from Jesus that it was not Moses who gave bread to their ancestors, the Israelites, in the desert during exodus, but rather it was God the Father who gave them bread from heaven.  But they did not comprehend what he meant when he told them that he is “the bread that came down from heaven.”  “The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven,’ . . .” (Jn. 6: 41).  The Jews did not understand this saying of Jesus and started murmuring and whispering to one another about what Jesus said and who Jesus was.  Maybe they were asking themselves, how can this be? Is that possible? And who is he to say that? And many other rumored against what Jesus said and about Jesus himself. 

On the one hand, they brought back again their indifferences to the Jews in Nazareth.  They opened the issues of the origin of Jesus, where he came from, who were his parents, who were his brothers and sisters, and many others that shown they were familiar to him. “. . . and they said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?  Do we not know his father and mother?  Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” (Jn. 6: 41-42).  They could not believe about what he said that he came from heaven and sent down by God the Father and not from the family of Joseph and Mary.  They cannot accept this saying and they thought it as blasphemy.

Jesus, on the other hand, knew their thoughts against him because of the things he said.  The people already forgot why they were running after Jesus – about the bread they have eaten and filled them, and to make him their king; what made them easily forgot to the fact that they saw and ate from five barley loaves and two fish, was their acquaintance with the family and relatives of him.   “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Stop murmuring among yourselves.  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day’.”  (Jn. 6: 43-44).  Jesus told the crowd to stop murmuring, for this cannot help them but rather it creates division and suspicion and disbelief.  Jesus clarified to them what he meant when he said, “I have come down from heaven.”  He was also trying to open their eyes to see him as he is and not his external appearance and family background. He explained to them his relation to God the Father as he was the one who came down from heaven for he was being sent down by God to the world and to save it.  Nobody can come to him unless God the Father allows them.  And God the Father drew the crowd to himself to save them unless they were not chosen by God to come to the one whom he sent – Jesus Christ.  For those who listen to him and believe in him will be saved and raised him up on the last day.

Jesus proved what he said by quoting the Book of the Prophets, “'It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’  Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me’.” (Jn. 6: 45; cf. Is. 54: 13).  God the Father taught those who listened to Him through the prophets regarding the one He will send in the world and to accept him.  This one will open and enlighten their minds and hearts to come to him to know who this one is; therefrom they believe in him and are save.

He explained further his relation to God the Father.  “’Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father’.” (Jn. 6: 46).  For Jesus who came from the Father knew Him for he saw Him and learned from Him.  And because God knew him as well that’s why he sent him in this world to remind us of the things God has taught us and we learned from him. 

When we believe to the one sent by God, we are saved, for he will teach us many things about God the Father, about heaven and earth, about other creations, about things visible and invisible, even life, fullness of life, and eternal life, etc.  “’Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life’.” (Jn. 6: 47).  He/she who believes has eternal life in him.

Going back to the issue, “’I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die’.” (Jn. 6: 48-50).  But this time, he contrasted himself to the “manna” their ancestors ate in the desert yet they died; the bread he will offer us gives life and not die those who eat it.   “’I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world’.” (Jn. 6: 51).  Jesus, the living bread, who sent down by God the Father from heaven will give life eternal.   This bread of life which Jesus will give is his own Flesh (and Blood in the Calvary and in the Eucharist) for the ransom of many who believe in him.