Gospel Reading: Jn 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
COME TO ME
Jesus invites the crowd to believe in him as the “bread of life come down from heaven.” To believe in him is to come to him to partake of the bread he offers. Jesus is like the Old Testament Wisdom personified (Greek Sophia) who invites the people: “Come to me, all who desire me, and be filled with my fruits” (Sir 24:19). If the Jews let themselves be guided by God to believe in Jesus, then Jesus will teach them the words of eternal life.
Elsewhere, Jesus invites the weary and those burdened by life to come to him and bear his easy yoke (cf Mt 11:29-30).
This “yoke” is the salvific teaching that the Father wills to be revealed, not to the learned and the clever, but to the childlike, those who trust in God. Jesus teaches, however, that we cannot come to him by our mere efforts. We have to be led by the Father. The question is: are we docile and willing to be led?
“Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
Do not harden your hearts”
(Ps 95:7-8)
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.