Jesus Alone Satisfies
Jn 6:24-35
Last Sunday we said: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs” (Ps 145).
The multiplication of the loaves by Jesus is the clear proof of this truth. God always provides
for our needs. This Sunday, we continue reading from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St.
John. After miraculously feeding the five thousand men, Jesus began teaching about the
Bread of Life. But He immediately noticed that the people were not interested in His
teachings but in the physical bread. So, he told them: “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.” (Jn
6:26).
Obviously, their motivation in following Jesus was materialistic and selfish. So, He gave
them this advice: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn 6:27). And still, they did not get the message.
They were thinking of a physical food to fill their stomach: “Sir, give us this food.”
Materialistic minds just cannot comprehend spiritual truths. So, Jesus had to be direct to the
point: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes
in me will never thirst.” (Jn 6:35).
This statement is an invitation to accept Jesus into our lives. He knows the workings of the
human heart. As long as Jesus is away from the life of a person, that person will find no end
to his desire for more of this world’s goods. This we can see in the situation of our bodies.
Why do many people have diabetes and kidney and liver problems? It is because of the way
we eat. We are not contented with the taste of the food we eat. We start with putting salt on it.
And we do it every meal. As the days go by, we get used to the taste, and so we add more salt.
The same is true with sugar. What was sweet before is not anymore as sweet today. So, we
add more sugar to our food and drink. There is no end to that, until our body cannot handle
the sugar and salt intake. And we have problems with our kidneys and liver and also develop
diabetes.
This is also true to what happens in our soul. Our appetite for worldly goods is insatiable. We
already have, but we still crave for more. And there is no end to that. For me the most
miserable person in the world is not the one who is materially poor, but the person who is
already rich and still wants to have more riches. He is running after his shadow, and that is
frustrating and exhausting. There is no freedom. He becomes the slave of material things.
And there is no peace and contentment. Hence, there can be no real happiness.
This is the fruit of materialism. The challenge for us today is to recognize that the false god of
materialism, which promises satisfaction but leaves us ever hungrier and emptier, has
seduced our society. The only cure is Jesus. We have to acceptHhim into our lives and follow
Him: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes
in me will never thirst.”
Let me end with the following story: A young man inherited his father’s small farm. He was
not really happy because the farm was so small. He wanted more land. One day, an angel
came and gave him a very interesting proposition. He will have all the land he could walk
around in one day, on condition that he would be back at the spot from where he started by
sundown.
Early the next morning the young man hastily set out, skipping breakfast. His first plan was
to cover six square miles. When he finished the first six, he decided to make it nine, then
twelve, and finally fifteen. This meant he would have to walk and run 60 miles before
sundown. By noon he had covered thirty miles. He did not stop for food or drink. His legs
grew heavier and heavier.
About 200 yards from the finish line, he saw the sun going down. He still had a few minutes
left. He gathered all his energies for that one last effort. He staggered across the line, just in
time. Then he felt a sudden sharp pain on his chest. He reached for his chest and fell down in
a heap – dead! All the land he got was a piece of six feet by two. He died of greed!
May we not fall into the same mistake. This world promises so many things, but they leave us
wanting for more. And there is no end to it. Like St. Augustine, may we also be able to say:
"O Lord, you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in You."
