Father Thomas Welbers' Homily	Jump back to Homily Index
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 27, 2003 2 Kings 4:41-44 Ephesians 4:1-6 John 6:1-15	Listen to Audio

Every three years, in what is called Cycle B of the Liturgical Year, we take a midsummer break from the usual readings from Mark’s Gospel, and spend five weeks with chapter six of John’s Gospel. The rest of John’s Gospel does not otherwise occur regularly in the three-year cycle of readings for Ordinary Time, but is featured nearly every Sunday during the great seasons of Lent and Easter. But there is something very special about chapter six of John that makes it appropriate right now, at the midpoint of Jesus’ ministry as we follow it through Mark’s eyes.

Unlike the other three Gospels, John does not describe the institution of the Eucharist in his lengthy narration of the Last Supper, the night before Jesus died. Instead he tells of Jesus washing the feet of his friends, commanding them, “As I have done for you, so you must do for one another.” Then, at the end of the Last Supper, he leaves them a long and loving farewell address, in which he gives his one “New Commandment”: “Love one another as I have loved you.” And he makes it very clear why this commandment of love is so important, “That my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.” After this, he prays for unity among all his followers, that they may be one in him as he is one in the Father.

John’s Gospel does not include the narration of the institution of the Eucharist, which was already very familiar to the community for whom he was writing. Instead, John probes the meaning of the Eucharist – communion with Jesus is inseparable from communion with one another in loving service.

However, in chapter six, which we just heard beginning with the familiar story of Jesus miraculously feeding a multitude of hungry people, Jesus goes on to speak of our deepest hunger, and of his gift of the Eucharist to satisfy that hunger.

During this coming week, please spend part of your daily prayer time, reading and meditating on the whole of chapter six of John’s Gospel. It is only when we probe deeply, rather than skim superficially, that God gives understanding and insight. It’s usually on the third or fourth careful reading that we begin to see things that we’ve missed before, and perhaps find that Jesus is challenging some of our preconceptions and comfortable assumptions. If you spend time with this chapter during the week, I can assure you that your hearing of the word and your celebrating the Eucharist on Sunday will be much more fruitful.

For the next few minutes, I’d like to ask you to join me in reflecting on how the crowd reacted to these events. To really understand Jesus, it’s important to experience him alongside those who originally witnessed these events.

Jesus had already performed miracles of healing, most notably giving sight to the man born blind in chapter five. Because of this, people were attracted to him. They wanted to learn more about this wonder-working healer. Perhaps he was the answer to all the ills and pain they experienced. And so crowds followed him, and he and his disciples found a place to sit down. Notice that it doesn’t say Jesus taught them – not just yet. He gives them food, as a preparation for his teaching. Notice too that he doesn’t say, I’ll feed you if you’ll stay and listen to me and become my followers. He attends first to their needs, without conditions, without hooks.

The overwhelming superabundance of his freely given gift is demonstrated by the great quantity of leftovers. But it’s clear that the crowd wants more. In fact, they want to make Jesus king, which would mean leader of a popular rebellion against Roman rule.

Sadly, the great gift of nourishment does not make the crowd more open to Jesus, and what he wants to give. Instead it confirms them in their desire to make Jesus what they want him to be. Is that a danger for us, too?

During the next few weeks, we will hear what Jesus had to say to them. We will hear how he gently leads them from a metaphorical understanding of himself and his word as the nourishment of our souls – a safe and rather tame thought – to a graphically literal promise of life to those who actually and physically eat his body and drink his blood, and a warning of death and damnation to those who refuse to do so – an image that is not at all safe or tame, and is unapologetically offensive to his hearers. So much so that four weeks from today, we will hear the crowds, even many of his formerly devoted followers, murmur against him, and turn around and refuse to follow him any more.

Today, I would simply like to invite you, as you probe ever more deeply the reality of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist, to be open to let him lead you into the mystery of his life, a life in which communion with him is inseparable from communion with all who are his brothers and sisters, children of one Father, united in one Spirit. It is so tempting to follow him because we see that he fulfills our needs. But when we receive the body sacrificed for us and the blood poured out for us in communion, we commit ourselves to let him lead us into the heart of that sacrifice. As we probe the mystery of our union with Jesus Christ in his sacrifice, we will often be tempted to say with so many of the former followers in the Gospel, “This is too much for us.” But knowing that Jesus is at our side, can we also say with Simon Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life.”

© Thomas Welbers 2003