What sign can you do that we may see and believe in you? Jesus was right. It was not because of the miracle of the loaves that the people were looking for him. They were not seeking him because they had seen a great sign. They were looking for Jesus because they ate and were satisfied! They were looking for Jesus because they saw in Jesus someone to manipulate and exploit! They were looking for Jesus because in him they saw an opportunity to satisfy their hunger and worldly needs. The one thing that they rightly understood was the uphill task of believing in Jesus: they knew it was not a minor thing Jesus was asking of them. And so before they could totally commit themselves to Jesus (that is what believing IN Jesus entails), they wanted something in return. “ Our ancestors ate manna in the desert,” they told Jesus, “ If you really want us to commit ourselves to your cause, show us that you are worth it; prove to us that it will not be in vain.” The manna in the desert was indeed a sign because it lasted for forty years! It was not a one-time thing (their citing the incident of the manna could have been a smart way of telling Jesus that in order to prove that he was whom he claimed to be, he had to match the forty-year provision of free goodies!)
Jesus understood their concern. They wanted assurance; they wanted the security that comes with a full belly, and rightly so. Many of the world’s problems are either directly or indirectly related to wanting to fill the belly. Consequently, Jesus reveals to the crowd that the security they need is not to be found in food (or the fleeting things of this world for that matter), but rather in that bread that gives life (seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else will follow [cf. Matthew 6:33]), the Word of God. This Word of God, Jesus himself, is the greatest sign that has ever been. In Jesus Christ, heaven and earth have been united; in Jesus Christ, the divine and human have become one; in Jesus Christ, what was thought never to be possible has been made possible. But only to those who believe IN him. The greatest sign was there before their very eyes; all they needed to do was to open their eyes and behold the sign. This is the invitation that Jesus gave them, and is the very invitation that he is extending to us today.