The people had listened to what Jesus was saying but could not comprehend what Jesus was offering them. Their minds were still closed and focused on what they already knew.
The only bread they knew to come from God was the manna God had given them in the desert. Even then, they were fixated on what was offered
and needed clarification on who had given it.
The people argued with Jesus. They pointed out that Moses had provided manna and fed a nation for 40 years in the desert, while Jesus only fed about five thousand people one meal. Jesus had to correct and remind them that God had provided the bread from heaven. They wanted proof that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus
had quite a task in trying to get them to move forward in their thinking. Are we so stubbornly rigid in our beliefs and attitudes that we become deaf to the invitation to receive the gift God offers us? We all hunger for salvation in Jesus Christ; in our fallen state, we struggle to lay down those understandings that get in the way. But Jesus' love will never be undone or outdone. So Jesus keeps inviting us into a relationship like no other.
What might we be firmly holding on to that gets in the way of our relationship with Jesus?
What church doctrines and teachings are not negotiable, and are they drawing us deeper into Jesus' grace?
What communal traditions and beliefs might send us mixed messages as we hunger for Jesus?
Where might our prejudices or stubbornness be stumbling blocks in our journey to renewal in Christ?
What proof are we demanding of Jesus before accepting him for who he is?
Reflections by Cherie-Lynn van der Merwe
