3rd Week of Easter
Rabbi, when did you get here? (John 6:25)
Think for a minute about the number of questions you ask in a typical day. It’s probably a lot! “How are you? What are you doing? When are you coming home? What’s for dinner?” The questions almost pour out of our mouths! But it’s not just the mundane activities that require questions. When you are first introduced to someone, most of the conversation is a give-and-take of questions and answers as you get a sense of who this person is.
In today’s Gospel story, Jesus and the crowd are in just such a moment of getting to know each other. So Jesus uses this opportunity to help the people come to know him better.
The people began the conversation by trying to figure out how and when Jesus had slipped away. Instead of giving an answer they were probably expecting, he told them to work for “the food that endures for eternal life” (John 6:27). Then he told them that the only way to accomplish this “work” is to believe in him (6:29).
Now, imagine if, before this conversation, even before the miracle of the bread, Jesus had told them that the “work of God” is to believe. They would not possibly have been able to understand what he was saying. Instead, he used the physical sign of the miracle, as well as their eagerness to receive more of this bread, to teach them what it means to be spiritually nourished by God.
This passage shows us that Jesus doesn’t mind questions. In fact, he likes them, because when we ask questions, it shows that we want to know him.
But Jesus doesn’t always give the answers we are looking for. Sometimes, he replies by asking us questions! And sometimes, he remains puzzlingly silent.
Whatever his response, his strategy is always the same: to leave us hungry for more; to provoke us to keep seeking him and his grace. He promised that those who ask, seek, and knock will be satisfied. The best part is that the more we seek, the more we find. May we never tire of asking questions! May we never stop looking for more from the Lord!
“Lord, help me to seek you today.”
Acts 6:8-15; Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
Daily Marriage Tip for May 5, 2014:
“We measure every policy, every institution, and every action by whether it protects human life and enhances human dignity, especially for the poor and vulnerable.” (Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, 1998) How does the way you treat your spouse and children respect their dignity?