Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. The miracle of the loaves definitely struck a chord with the people. It was a sign that endeared more people to Jesus and his group, even if their motivation was transitory in nature. As we learnt in last Sunday’s Gospel passage, after the multitude had had its fill, Jesus took leave of the crowd after learning that they wanted to make him their king. He withdrew to the mountain and was by himself. But the crowd was not going to make it that easy for him to get away. Those who had enjoyed the “freebies” were determined to make better use of the good fortune that had befallen their community in the person of Jesus Christ. It was too good a golden opportunity to let pass. When they, therefore, realized that Jesus and his company had disappeared (perhaps after waking up from an afternoon nap that was occasioned by their filled bellies), they themselves got into boats in order to track them. And when they caught up with them, they couldn’t contain their joy. “Don’t ever disappear just like that without letting us know,” they must have told Jesus, “we have decided to accompany you now that we know you can feed us.” Jesus then took the opportunity to invite them to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the miracle of the loaves.
The multiplication of the loaves was an eye opening occasion/experience for those who witnessed it. It opened their eyes and allowed them a peek into the real identity of Jesus. For a majority of those who witnessed the miracle, this was not the first time that they were encountering Jesus. Jesus had been preaching and working signs in their midst for some time now. But it might be that nothing of what Jesus had been saying of doing caught their attention or resonated with them. It is true that Jesus’ preaching as well as the other signs he had worked were just as wonderful as the multiplication of the loaves. It is also true that after hearing Jesus speak and witnessing his healing miracles, crowds of people had been following him. However, it was only after this latest miracle of the loaves that their enthusiasm caught Jesus’ attention. They were genuinely warming up to Jesus.
Jesus’ response to the crowd should not be understood as a reproach. The multiplication of the loaves called to the memory of the people one of the great acts of God toward the community: God’s gift of heavenly bread that for forty years nourished the sons and daughters of Israel in the desert. It was one of the greatest signs of the concreteness of God’s loving care for his people. To the Israelites who were wandering in the desert, the gift of heavenly bread was the most tangible sign that the Lord God was with them. For while the community’s escape from slavery in Egypt remains the greatest act of God on their behalf, the discomfort and treacherous ways of the desert made the Israelites wish they had been left in Egypt where they were assured of their fill of bread. It did not make sense that the Lord had freed them from slavery only to have them die of hunger in the desert. Only by having their fill of bread could they be assured of enjoying their newfound freedom. God heard the cries of the people and rained down from heaven the bread that they needed.
Jesus’ miracle of the loaves was being interpreted by the crowd using the lens of the great sign of the manna in the desert. The crowd might even have started to perceive it as a repeat of the miracle of the manna. As such, they didn’t want Jesus to give them only a day’s worth of bread. Just like Moses did, they wanted Jesus to provide bread that would last for a while. For a people who often went hungry and struggled to earn their daily bread, there was nothing more they could have wanted from Jesus other than a steady supply of bread. They were ready to follow him provided he was ready to assure them of their daily bread. Jesus understood their concern. He understood where they were coming from. But he wanted to give them more than their daily fill of bread. Even as he was willing to provide for their daily bread, he also wanted them to have their fill of the words of life that he was proclaiming. Jesus wanted the people to recognize in him an opportunity to be reconciled to God and thus assured of eternal life. It was not bad that they wanted to be given bread. The fullness of life that is God’s gift to the world in Jesus Christ includes having one’s fill of bread. However, that is just the starting point. The human person hungers for more than the bread that fills his stomach. The human person hungers for greater things. He hungers for the bread of life. Jesus himself is this bread of life for he is the one who can point us to God who is the source and sustainer of life. This is the invitation he was extending to the crowd. And it is this invitation that he is extending to us today. Are we ready to hunger for the living bread that Jesus has made available to us? Do we hunger for the fullness of life that we get only by remaining one with the Father?