After feeding the multitudes miraculously out of five loaves and two fish, performing the fourth sign (John 6:1-15), Jesus first sent the disciples to cross the Sea of Tiberius (Sea of Galilee) by boat (i.e. Matthew 14:22). While the disciples were sailing for Capernaum, it became stormy on the sea. Then, they were terrified to see Jesus walking on the water toward them, performing the fifth sign, and reached the shore (John 6:16-21).
Today’s Gospel Reading (John 6:22-26) is the
immediate continuation from the Gospel Readings of Friday of the Second Week of
Paschaltide (John 6:1-15) and of
Saturday (John 6:16-21).
So, both Jesus and his disciples were all on the
shore of Capernaum on the day after
feeding the multitude and crossing the stormy water and witnessing Jesus
walking on the water – witnessing both the fourth and fifth signs in one day.
Then, they found the crowd that Jesus fed the day before were already in
Capernaum, as they chased him (John 6:21-24). Finding Jesus, the crowd asked
him when he got there (John 6:25).
To this, Jesus confronted them with these words:
Amen,
amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but
because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give
you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal (John
6:26-27).
The fact that the crowd looked for Jesus and came all the way to Capernaum after being miraculously fed by Jesus, witnessing and benefitted the fourth sign, does not mean that they came to believe in him. It was rather more like becoming dependent on Jesus to be fed by him. It is not likely that they recognize the Christological, Messianic quality in Jesus, through that sign. That is why Jesus told them that he was fully aware of what was in their mind in coming to him. Then, Jesus led their attention to eternal life, which is given only by the Son of Man, who is the Son of God, Jesus himself.
In the above statement to the crowd, Jesus implied
that feeding them out of the five loaves and two fish was not just to fill
their empty stomachs but to lead them to seek eternal life from him.
So, the crowd asked Jesus what they must do (John
6:28), showing they were ready to learn something new from Jesus. And we will
see how they will learn from Jesus and how they will take Jesus’ teaching on
eternal life for the rest of the third week of Paschaltide (John 6:30-69).
Today’s First Reading (Acts 6:8-15) follows the
First Reading of Saturday of the Second Week of Paschaltie (Acts 6:1-7).
As the nascent Church steadily grew, so did the
ministries in the amount and diversity in types and in those who benefit. Then,
the Church received a complaints from a Greek-speaking people, feeling
neglected over Hebrew-speaking counterparts. So, the Church’s presbyteries, the
twelve apostles, including Peter, held a council meeting and decided to add
seven deacons. And Stephen is one of the seven deacons to assist the
presbyteries.
Stephen stood out among the seven deacons, as he was
full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), as well as God’s grace and power
(Acts 6:8a). Because of this, he certainly performed great wonders and
miraculous signs (Acts 6:8b). And, this sure attracted challenging and
unwelcoming responses from those who did not believe in Christ and those who
were annoyed by him, his teaching and those who teach about him. And they
argued with Stephen but were not able to stand up against the wisdom and the
Spirit, by whom he spoke (Acts 6:10).
Nobody can argue on the same ground with Stephen.
They cannot dispute the truth on and of Jesus, the Christ, and his teaching, as
Stephen’s preaching is filled with the wisdom and driven by the Holy Spirit. Rather
than acknowledging the truth and believing in Christ, those who contended (and
lost in argument with Stephen) turned to devil, by plotting to set up false
accusations against him (Acts 6:11-14), just as they did to have Jesus killed
(i.e. Matthew 26:59-62). But then, Stephen’s face had an angelic reflection
(Acts 6:15)
Stephen is a great example of what it means to be
fully alive to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, because he was not
living with bread alone. Had he lived with bread alone, Stephan would not be
able to speak about Jesus and his teaching as he did. It was because his life
was beyond what is sustained by bread but sustained by the Wisdom, brought
through the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; 1 Corinthians12:8), and the Word of God
(i.e. Psalm 119; cf. 119:107).
We cannot live with bread alone, just because God
the Father sent down the Manna from heaven (Exodus 16), just because His Son
fed the crowd out of the give loaves and two fish (John 6:1-15). Yes, we do
need eternal life only he can give (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:68) thorough the
Eucharist (John 6:47, 50, 54, 57-5) and the Word (John 6:63). And, we also need
wisdom and the Holy Spirit so that we, too, can live our life fullest as
Stephen did.
We need the Holy Spirit and the Wisdom, which can be
given through the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; 1 Corinthians12:8) and through the
Word (i.e. Psalm 119) to be like Stephen
No comments:
Post a Comment