Jesus has just performed the ‘sign’ of sharing bread out of his caring heart. As remarkable as it is, this act holds a profound spiritual significance that is often misunderstood.
This causes the people, in fact, to seek him and hold him; they would like to monopolize his presence as a guarantee against all future hunger. But the Gospel of Jesus is not a bakery; Instead, Jesus is the powerful leaven at the core of history, causing it to move upwards towards an enduring life.
Before them, Jesus declares that this earthly bread is only a foretaste of heavenly bread; he promises it at God’s level, but their tastebuds don’t care about heaven’s bread today. They long for the physical bread at their table. This contrast between the physical and spiritual aspects of the bread is a central theme of Jesus’ teachings.
We love how earthly bread feels, nourishing and tasty. It’s hunger comfort while tastebuds rejoice.
What’s the point of full stomachs when aimless broken hearts go nowhere and keep us in the same place with no evolution? If we were on the journey to the Promised Land, we would still be stuck in Egypt to have more bread.
The living bread nourishes the soul rather than filling the stomach, like a compass guiding the way. It empowers the spiritual mind to find the right path in life.
There will be no more “If I had listened,” but “I hear your voice today: Speak, your servant is listening.”