Retreat

"And he said, 'For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.' As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, 'Do you also want to leave?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' " - John 6:65-68

For those in the United States, we are well into the election cycle. This means constant ads, news reports, interviews, blog postings, status updates, tweets and debates. It's candidates trying to amass support (which they hope will turn into votes), while arguing against their opponents. This ends up with one side winning, while other sides lose, and the candidate going on to do it all over again in the job they just won.

And throughout all of this, the candidate tries to win over and keep supporters to ensure their victory. They say things they think potential supporters want to hear, while attempting to not alienate the folks they already have "on their side".

And based on these verses, it's quite clear Jesus was no politician. He had a mission and a message that many weren't quite able to stomach. And no matter how many miricles, signs and wonders he performed, it didn't matter for some. They weren't ready to do what Jesus asked, and weren't ready to completely follow him. Because of that, many got up and left, going back to their daily lives.

After reading and thinking about these verses for quite some time, there's so many parallels we can draw from the scene that unfolded. That there are times we are like those who left, other times we're the ones that stay. That, once we hear and understand Jesus's message and purpose, we can't simply "return to our former way of life", but rather live in a new life.

The connection I personally draw is that, even when faced with overwhelming evidence, I sometimes fail in my belief. I sometimes doubt what I've seen, experienced and heard, and would rather go back to doing things the old way because it's comfortable and easy. And when faced with those decisions, I need to strive to choose to stay, but know I'll be forgiven when I choose otherwise.

I'm sure there are folks that left Jesus and came back right after his death, others that came back after some time passed, and still others that didn't come back at all. At all times, regardless of how we slip up, we simply need to come back, and all will be forgiven.


(And I promise, this is the closest I will ever come to talking about politics on this blog, ever. (-: )

Containers

" [Jesus Said] 'It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.' Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. " - John 6:63-64

I just finished playing "The Game of Life" with my oldest. He ended up with $1.3 million, whereas I had $10,000 left over. And while it's just a game (though certain tiles I landed on bore a striking similarity to challenges I've faced in my life already...), it's also a good reminder of just how important it is to have lots of money when you reach the end.



...As in, it's not important. Not even a little. Because like the game, once you get to the end, the amount of money you have, the number of things you have, the coolest electronics you have mean absolutely nothing. When the game's over, everything changes.

It's one of the reasons why Jesus is reminding us about how life isn't our hearts beating, our lungs filling or our eyes blinking. It's our spirit that makes us who we are, the "being" in "human being" that defines who we are to others... and who we are to God. He's giving us a good reminder to focus on what we're doing to take care of that spirit, so when the real game is over, we're ready for what's next.

And it wont be decided by a giant spinning dial!

Losing Patience

"Then many of his disciples who were listening said, 'This saying is hard; who can accept it?' Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, 'Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?' " - John 6:60-62

At this point, Jesus has a number of other disciples other than the twelve Apostles. And they've been following him for awhile, listening to what he has to say and seeing the miracles he has performed. But now he's laying it all out for them - making sure they understand who he is, why he's here, and where he's going. And it's a hard concept for many - if not most- of them to follow. After all, many of them have known him prior to the official start of his ministry (though one could argue his ministry started at birth... but that's for another day). They knew him as the carpenters' son, a childhood friend, a regular kid. He certainly was no royalty, didn't come from priestly stock. Rather, he was a simple boy from a simple family, destined to be a carpenter like his dad.

But now he's saying things like "I am the living bread that came down from heaven", "whoever believes has eternal life" and recognizing himself as "Messiah" - things that, at a minimum, are heresy. And they're starting to get scared, starting to question deeper who he is (despite the insurmountable evidence provided to them).

I imagine Jesus must be losing patience with them - because I certainly am. He's multiplied food, turned water into wine, healed the sick, and brought others back from the dead. There had not been anyone like him before, and will never be anyone like him since. But many of his disciples are caught up in the moment - in how their lives interact with Jesus's - and they're choosing to (in their minds) play it safe.

So Jesus plants a seed in their minds - one that won't grow until after he's died. He asks them what they would think if they saw him rise from the dead and ascend into Heaven. And I'm sure that, at this point, the disciples that are ready to leave are done listening. But Jesus gives them that seed - that gift- that will come back and remind them, down to their soul, about what they witnessed and who he was.

Ten Foot Pole

"Jesus said to the crowds: 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.' " - John 6:51

If it hasn't been apparent in the last 101 posts, I'm Catholic. Which means (for many of us), I read verses like these in the context of the Holy Eucharist - that is, it reminds me of the transubstantiation the bread and wine go through during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. And for many other denominations besides Catholicism, this portion of the liturgy means and is experienced in different ways from my own. So with that said, I'm going to leave that interpretation aside for this particular entry, and leave it up to you to reflect, in your own way, how what Jesus is saying aligns with your particular belief.

To me, the portion of the verse I missed was Jesus saying "the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world". And that should give you as much pause as the first part of the verse - if not more. As we get closer to the Crucifixion, Jesus talks more and more about his death, but here he gives a very clear and direct reason why he's going to die - "for the life of the world". And it's quite true - up to this point, the people of Jesus's time have a guarded, fearful view of God. They've seen God bless Moses in his exodus, but have heard Job's story of losing everything. They're quite aware of what happened to the world Noah lived in, what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah, to kings that have dared to challenge God's people, and to the trials and tribulations experienced by the Jewish population. So there is good reason to fear God.

But Jesus is saying something different - that God loves us, wants to be with us, and is willing to sacrifice his only Son to prove it to us. It's a turn-around from over a thousand years of previous history, and will take a long time to sink in.

But it will. And a new group of people will emerge, who follow Jesus and his teachings. And while they may not agree on everything, they all will understand why Jesus was here, and what that means to them.

Seeing

"Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father." - John 6:46

When I was younger, I was over at my paternal Grandmother's house for dinner. It was fall, so by the time we were ready to go it was quite dark. The moon was shining brightly, so I went outside, and sat on the step while waiting for my parents to finish saying goodbye so we could go home. And I remember this part vividly: as I was sitting on the step, I saw my maternal great grandma sitting next to me, and she gave me some M&Ms. There was a brightness to her, one that seemed to light up the night, and I was immediately calm and happy right where I was - and not because of the M&Ms (though I am a big fan).

My great grandma had passed away a while before then, and I had only known her for a short time. I have small memories of her at my maternal grandmother's house, where she always gave me M&Ms with a bright smile. I know she was an amazing lady, one who made my mom feel quite special when she stayed at my great grandma's house in the summers of her youth. She was warm, compassionate, and witty. And I wish I would have been a little older, so I had more memories of her.

But I will cherish that memory forever. As I reflect back on that day, I remember not feeling scared or confused that she was there. Rather, I felt calm - like I somehow knew there was nothing to be afraid of, nothing that was out of the ordinary. After seeing her, I went back inside and told my parents, who were obviously shocked. At that point I realized how strange that event was. But I'll always remember that feeling, and while I don't know why it happened, I know I'm very blessed to have both experienced it and remembered it. And when I'm feeling doubt, unsure about what I believe or if it's all made up, I remember that night.

I can only imagine what it will be like to see God. I think it will be like that, only better. I know someday I will see Him, but until then, I can only read and understand Jesus's words. He himself has seen God, because he was sent by God. It's his words that are God's words, and he's reminding us of that - that only he has seen him fully, has heard him, understood him, and knows the reason why God sent him. And someday, as long as we listen to him, we too will see, know and understand God.

Glitzy

"The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven,' and they said, 'Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven?' ' " - John 6:41-42

Well dear readers, this entry is quite unique. This is the 100th post to my little Lectio Divina blog. Thank you all for reading the short passages and reflections, and I hope you've found this to be insightful - or at least, entertaining.

While I'm responsible for 98 of these entires, I felt like this one's gotta be good. So I started racking my brain about what I could do to make this entry more "special" than the others....

...I came up with nothing. Zero. No ideas whatsoever. Well, except for dancing hamsters - but that's already been done.

But I started thinking about it some more - and started thinking about what Jesus did to wow and amaze. Unfortunately, I can't turn water into wine, there is no storm for me to attempt to calm tonight, and I can't multiply fish and bread (not that I would anyway, as I'm not a big fan of fish).

And then I realized - I don't need to do anything special. I don't need to "wow" and "amaze" to get my point across. Because it's not my point at all - it's Jesus's words that I'm reflecting on - and he can do all those things. He has done all those things. And his words are perfect - they don't need changing, or sprucing up. They're for us, for everyone, and the fact that we have them - after 2000 years - is all that matters.

It's funny - because it's his words that are causing the Jews to murmur amongst themselves. Jesus will shortly rebuke them and set them straight. But they too were hung up on who he was, and where he came from, instead of what he actually said. Had they listened and believed, rather than wondered about his family, they may not have needed all the signs and miracles he had to produce to have his message sink in.

But we can't judge them from so many years into the future - after all, we too are guilty of wanting to see to believe. Hoping for that one sign that God exists, hoping we might see Him, hear Him as others did in the Old Testament. And while we're not hung up on his family, we too get hung up on wondering, questioning who he was, why he was here, and if it was all true.

Thankfully, deep down, we know the truth. And while our minds may wander, our hearts are firmly anchored in the belief of Jesus, the Son of God, who died for us all.

Amen.

To Sir

"So they said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.' " - John 6:34-35

While I think it's quite early, I'm starting to notice 'younger' members of our population (which I still think I am a part of) refer to me as 'Sir'. This includes such phrases as "Here is your change, 'sir'", "'Sir', would you like the extended warranty?" and "Excuse me 'sir'? I think you dropped this.". I think it's because I have three young kids. I may be by myself when they say that, but they must know, right? Because I'm certainly not old enough to be a 'sir'!

And when I read these two verses, I'm struck by the crowd's addressing of Jesus. They don't call him 'master', 'teacher' or 'Rabbi' like the Apostles - they call him 'sir'. It makes me wonder if - through everything they've seen, they still don't quite get who Jesus is. After all, if you met Jesus, I don't think you'd refer to him as anything but "Lord"!

But the people of Jesus's time are only seeing a part of who he is. They see some miracles first hand, hear about others second-hand, and hear his message about loving one another. But they don't quite understand why he's able to do the things he does. Why he has no fear of retribution by the Jews or the Romans for the things he says.

It's because he knows much more than they do, and knows he has to ease them into it. That it has to be a steady build-up to the ultimate sacrifice he's preparing to make - so when it happens, his whole mission will come together into one "aha!" moment for those he touched.

And maybe they'll think twice about referring to him as simply "sir"!

Shelf-Life

"Jesus answered them and said, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.' " - John 6:26-27

There's a a number of well-known urban legend surrounding Twinkies - everything from them having a shelf-life of a hundred years to the only thing besides cockroaches that will survive a nuclear apocalypse. Unfortunately, all those legends are false (despite my hope that they were - I mean really, who doesn't like Twinkies?).

And while the Twinkie was still 1900 years away, Jesus is telling us that there is no food that lasts forever - and that our focus shouldn't be on things that go away, but rather the one thing that will lead to eternal life.

No doubt it's a hard thing to understand - and even harder to live. We like our things - our nice cars, our new clothes, good food and fun things to do. And Jesus isn't saying that having those things are strictly forbidden. But what he is saying is more of a reminder - that all of those things have everything to do with a life that perishes - a life that has a definitive end. And that we should be more concerned with what we're doing for our eternal life - our life with God and Jesus in Heaven, rather than focusing on today's pleasures.

It's a lesson we hear over and over - and we often equate it to being generous, giving what we have to help others, giving our time to those less fortunate. And I'm not going to say that all those things aren't important (we know from other reading just how important they are). But we also need to remember that we need to nourish our spiritual lives through prayer as much as we do through the giving of our time, talent and treasure. That reading the Word, talking to God and working to understand Him at deeper and deeper levels is what builds that life. It's as much through our actions, as it is through understanding and commitment to God, that leads us to that everlasting life.

With that said, I hope there are Twinkies in Heaven.

Chase

"When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you get here?' " - John 6:24-25

So a few things have happened since Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. He first retreated to the mountains shortly after everyone ate, for fear they would make him their king. The Apostles, wondering where he went, hopped on a boat and sailed to Capernaum, only to get caught in bad wind. And knowing his Apostles were in trouble, Jesus walks to them (across the water) and brings the boat safely to shore.

And after all that, the crowd continues to follow, asking Jesus when he got there. I wonder if the Apostles started into the crowd, ready to tell them about what just happened - that the man that just fed them can also walk on water. I would imagine Jesus, as usual, silenced his Apostles, for the same reason that he left the crowd in the first place - he didn't want to make him their king.

It's curious, however, as to why, throughout all of this, Jesus continues to play down the attention he receives. After all, he is the Son of God, why wouldn't he want to bask in some of that glory?

It's pretty simple, really. If they focus on him, they'll idolize him, making his earthly works the focus of his life, rather than listening to his selfless message about God's love. Don't get be wrong - healing, feeding and bringing folks back to life are miracles beyond anything anyone had ever seen (or have seen since), but Jesus wants them to focus not on their life on earth, but their eternal life. Something that bread alone is not sufficient to ensure.

It's a good reminder for us as well - that our focus shouldn't be on what we have here, but what's waiting for us in the next part of our life - and what we're doing to make sure we get there.

Saying Grace

"Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, 'Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.' So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat." - John 6:11-13

"Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. " - Prayer before meals (Catholic)

In our family, we traditionally say Grace before eating dinner - and when you have young kids, it can be a daunting task to hold them off until everyone sits down and says the prayer before digging in. It's not something that comes naturally - they know we go to the grocery store, pay for the food, prepare the food and finally serve it, and it appears mom and dad do it all alone. So to say Grace to God for providing our food doesn't always mesh - and when you're hungry, it sometimes feels more like an obstacle than a quiet moment of reflection.

But we, like Jesus, know that it is through His Grace that we have what is in front of us. That it is the blessings we've been given that has afforded us the ability to purchase the food, the dishes, the electricity (or propane if it's a summer weekend) to make what's in front of us. And saying Grace allows us to recognize that fact - that the conditions were right for the wheat to grow, that the manufacturing plant that made and packaged the food was working safely, that the truck the food arrived on did so without incident that led to the food we see.

With this in mind, it's telling that Jesus too gives thanks to God for the food. That he recognizes this fact too - that all that went into the food provided to him was by the grace of his Father. And that even the son of God isn't above recognizing and giving thanks to his dad for all that's been provided.

Of course, the folks in the crowd most likely recognized Jesus alone as the source of the food - and probably were thankful (and a bit amazed) for his ability to provide for so many with so little.

It's a good reminder that we need both God and Jesus in our lives - for through both we have our fill.

Take a Load Off

"Philip answered him, 'Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.' One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?' Jesus said, 'Have the people recline.' Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. " - John 6:7-10

Loaves and Fishes is one of those stories that appears in all four Gospels - most likely because of how many people experienced it first hand. It's a pretty simple story, and one that we can easily understand. A lot of people (4000-5000) followed Jesus to listen to what he had to say, but did not come prepared with any sort of meal. A donation is made, and Jesus multiplies that donation so much that there are a dozen baskets left over. The hungry are fed, Jesus's message sinks in and all are grateful.

We all can relate because, at one time or another, we've been hungry. And we know how hard it is to learn on an empty stomach - and that's likely one of the reasons why Jesus wants everyone to be full and comfortable - so that his message has the greatest likelihood of sinking in, and getting passed on. Yes, the miracle in itself is amazing, but the fact that Jesus knows us so intimately should speak even louder to our spirits.

He was, is, and always will be one of us. He understands us, knows that we make mistakes, loves us and forgives us. He'll stand with us on our day of judgement, being our great advocate and friend.

A good reminder for when we think we've lost touch with our God and ourselves.