John 6:1-71
6:1-4 Jesus devotes all of His time to His many followers and disciples. He works to prepare them for their lives after His return to God and therefore uses every opportunity to teach and be with them.
6:5-6 Jesus and His disciples were standing with multitudes of people. The multitude were (and represented) a great responsibility of God's children. They needed to be fed, to be nourished by the philosophy of God. Jesus is going to use this moment to instruct the disciples on their purpose using this metaphor of bread and hunger.
6:7-9 Not yet thinking metaphorically (but carrying the metaphor out unknowingly) the disciples are concerned about the lack of money and food to feed the large gathering of people. The metaphor in this is that, without developing our relationship and philosophy of life with God, people (we) often feel dejected, incapable of fulfilling purpose or productivity in our lives.
Deeper in the metaphor: the disciples are exemplifying their fear of shouldering the entire responsibility of carrying on God's word after Jesus' return to Him. There are so many people and seemingly so few teachers. They feel incapable of the task... but Jesus is going to prepare them. He's going to show them from where they can derive their strength, energy and wisdom to do so.
6:10-12 Jesus' first order of business is to... well, but the business in order. God never works chaotically; He always works with a plan. In order to reach each individual person, He organizes the situation. We should employ this same strategy whenever we undertake a task. The order(s) of business are to 1) observe the situation, 2) discover the need, 3) develop and organize a solution-plan, 4) source strength, courage, wisdom and compassion in order to execute the plan 5) execute the plan.
Jesus does this:
1) Multitude of people
2) Need to be lead, supported with God's word (philosophy of life)
3) Organize the people to efficiently and successfully reach each
4) Source from God (gave thanks: gratitude which purchases His support)
5) Feeds the people and also "feeds" the disciples with the wisdom they'll need to be teachers.
Let's continue to explore this metaphor. Jesus is explaining, through the simple of hunger and bread that there is a hunger for spirituality in people and the food with which to satisfy it is the "bread" or substance/sustenance of God.
So, we left off with the disciples worried that they could not effectively and efficiently reach the multitude of people who needed God's word. Jesus teaches them that God's love and support multiplies (through the symbol of turning little bread into much). When we work with God, He will always supply us with the materials (courage, ability, wisdom, compassion) to fill a need of humanity's. From God flows all blessings, they pour into Jesus (the ultimate teacher) and from Jesus the blessings continue to flow and pour into others. Though it all comes from one source, it spreads throughout the world and multiplies as more and more people take it into their hearts.
People receive "as much as they wanted" and we should not overlook that. As much purpose as we are willing to take on is the amount of purpose we will be given by God. His word is abundant. His word is infinite. People are spiritual at all different levels and that's totally acceptable. God gives to us what we can and want to work with. Those with many blessings are expected give and create many blessings to others. God wishes for His love to reverberate around the world. Each person has their own particular capacity for the depth in this book, and no person is better than the other because of their specific capacity. Just remember that if you want more, you will be given more... but there are great expectations which accompany those gifts.
6:13-14 These verses are particular in expressing the excess. God has so much to give, more than can be counted. He gives in so many ways: love, courage, opportunity, friendships, relationships,... it's an endless list. There are so many opportunities in the word to 1) find Him and then 2) work with Him. No matter how monumental your dreams are, you can accomplish them when you work with Him, with the intention of bringing compassion to others. With Him, monumental dreams become monumental achievements. When your intention is to contribute to the betterment of others, your ability to help, your opportunities to help are abundant.
6:15 I think it's especially beautiful and instructive that Jesus often retreats to speak with God. He frequently consults God and you know what follows? Success, fulfillment of purpose. We would assume that Jesus could do and accomplish anything He wanted to all on His own... but Jesus never tried to take that route. Jesus always remembered from whom He received life, love and wisdom. Jesus always remembered who gave Him purpose and direction. Our own lives often could use a consultant and who better than the one who created us, our minds and our world? Jesus drew wisdom from God but He also received love and guidance from Him (and that's more than half of any battle).
6:16-17 Preoccupied with His discussion with God (we are also able to converse with God --be observant to hear and see His responses), the disciples gather into a boat expecting that Jesus will take a boat to catch up with them when He's ready. For a time, they are "without Him" and in this there is a metaphor of life.
For a time (this time we currently live during) Jesus will be with God (just as He was "with" God praying in these verses. While physically away from Jesus, the disciples forget their spiritual connection with Him. It starts to get dark on the boat and their anxiety begins. This is metaphorical of us now, living without a tangible, physical Jesus... do we also forget His spiritual presence? Yes, many do. Jesus worked His entire life to teach us that He, and God, are always with us. In fact, their spiritual presence in our lives is the deeper manifestation of the connection we have with them. We should work to grow to understand that their presence is constant, our well-being is their greatest concern. Whether or not we "see" them, they are always around to be "felt" because they love us and their devotion to supporting us boundless.
6:18-21 Things get pretty chaotic. The chaotic weather is representative of the (sometimes too-frequent) times in life when life is not... well, smooth sailing. Without difficultly, without hesitation or barrier Jesus and God are able to reach us. They are frightened but at Jesus' arrival, when they remember Him and His love, the frightening ocean became but a forethought as they reached safe land. God is our saftey zone, our pillar in the wind, our land after rough sea.
6:22-25 This multitude of people is actively seeking Jesus. They yearn to be with Him. When they finally find Him, they're grateful... probably a little exhausted from their search from Him and thinking: Oh, finally! We've searched and searched.
6:26-27 Jesus points out something important here: these people did not actively, passionately seek Him simply because they liked the way He looked or were superficially impressed with Him. These people sought Him because they heard and were taught the philosophy of God and it meant something to them. Jesus wants us to love and follow Him because we love and pursue to exemplify everything He stands for: compassion. They did not follow Him because of the miracles (even though they brought so much joy) they followed Him because accompanying the miracles was a loving, wise, honest, compassionate message. It cleared a path of direction for them. The philosophy of God does that: it helps us to organize and observe and reform our lives.
Jesus teaches us not to follow people for the wrong reasons. There are a lot of flashy ideas and opportunities in life but if their solid core is not compassion, it's a waste of time. The "food that perishes" is the love and procure of money, power, fame, control. Once our time is over on the earth, those "foods" are gone... having left us with nothing but a selfish record.
6:28-29 People are inspired and committed, they want to know how to work with God. Jesus' answer is that they should listen to His teachings. Believing in Jesus, who was sent by God, means to believe in the work that He does. It means to DO the work He does. If a person believes in Jesus but does not do the same work or stand for the same principles, their superficial belief is worth nothing. Jesus is answering their question by saying: You can work with God by believing in and contributing to the purpose Jesus initiated. Bringing compassion to the world.
6:30 Unfortunately, people who are not developed (or developing) in their spirituality, desire to see physical sings of confirmation of God and Jesus. It baffles me how people are not able to believe in God based on the miracle of our bodies and this earth we live on. Just opening my eyes in the morning is a bold confirmation of a creator. Nevertheless, these people seek other proof.
6:31 They refer Jesus back to scripture in the Old Testament when Moses fed his people with bread from God. This is evidence of a common mistake (even today) were people read scripture but neglect to seek the deeper meaning. Moses did not just feed the people actual food... he led them to creating relationships with God, our true sustenance.
6:32-33 Jesus reminds them of this metaphor we've been entrenched in. That which comes from God (love, courage, guidance) is the most solid, abundant sign, or miracle that we can receive. We have to be observant, spiritual to identify and realize it in our lives.
6:34 Of course this is something they, and we, deeply desire. The unconditional love of God. They say: we definitely want that... how do we obtain it?
6:35 When you adopt the philosophy that Jesus taught, the love and guidance through life from God, your life will manifest in happiness and purpose. You will never "hunger," that is, experience dejection, depression, inability to persevere. Why not? Because God nourishes our souls with hope, motivation, determination, purpose and ability to fulfill it.
6:36 To His adversaries, Jesus explains that their unwillingness to listen to Him... to hear the compassionate philosophy, prevents them from a relationship with God. It's not a punishment... it's subsequent. You can't be with God without listening to Him... without believing what He does. It's illogical.
3:37-40 Jesus reiterates that everything He is, stands for and accomplishes is done by and for the will of God. To reject what Jesus stands for, therefore, is to reject God. Jesus explains that He is a servant of God, that the message coming through Him is from God.
6:41 The adversaries continue to be angry. Jesus brings the metaphor full-circle by explaining that He is the "bread" from God. Part of the problem here is that these people right the bible superficially, they are unwilling to work with the deeper meaning of the bread representing spiritual sustenance from God.
The desperately want their interpretation of scripture to continue. Jesus came to enhance the word of God, to lead people to the deeper meaning of it... the philosophy of life on earth and in spirit. He did not want to change anything that was written; He came to enhance it... to uncover the truths people were missing in reading and teaching it.
Jesus' adversaries were intent on rejecting the enhancements because they had procured a lot of power and wealth teaching it the way they had been before Jesus came. They loved to enforce illogical rules and to condemn people for their supposed wrong-doings. Jesus came with an endlessly forgiving message, a compassionate message, a humble message, a message which rejects and is disgusted by wealth and hierarchy and those messages directly targeted the corrupt system they had built.
6:42-43 The adversaries continue to gossip and try to demean Jesus but Jesus challenges them to be direct. It's healthy to be inquisitive but we also must listen in order to learn from our curiosity. Rather than solve the problems they had with Jesus, they continued to stew and gossip (make no progress at all).
6:44-45 God leads those with compassionate souls to the philosophy which Jesus taught. He leads them because they ask for it (even sometimes unknowingly). Jesus is confident in the fact that anyone who will love and absorb God's philosophy will be lead to and by it.
Therefore, these adversaries who are corrupt at heart are unwilling to absorb the deeper meaning.
6:46 Jesus reminds us of the spirituality of God. Jesus can comprehend His magnitude because of His faultless, flawless absorption of the indescribable entity that God is.
6:48 Jesus is the bread because He is the living, perfect example of it. His teaching spiritually feeds us.
6:49-50 A reference to the above verses (6:31-32). Eternal life is given by God, sustained by God and nourished by God.
6:51 Jesus came to the world to teach because the message of compassion was so important to Him. He loves us so much that, even knowing He would suffer greatly, He came here to us without hesitation. Right after being captured, mocked, beaten, on the verge of dying... Jesus asks God to forgive those who were responsible. He is the manifestation of compassion. Everything He is and has He devotes to us. Jesus created LIFE for the world by coming here and teaching us how to appreciate and support life (ours and others'). The life Jesus gave was the opportunity, the road to life with God.
6:52 The adversaries completely miss the metaphor... because they aren't trying to understand it. They do not want to understand. They want their money and their power. The suppress their ability to be perceptive, observant, compassionate with greed. It blinds them from truth.
So many are blinded from truth because their focus is on superficial things and the corrupt, deceptive ways to achieve them.
6:53-55 Keep the metaphor that you understand because you are perceptive and do absorb the philosophy of God. Jesus' life is our sustenance... we derive our life from Him, from His supply of wisdom, love and compassion. Fruits and vegetables (beautiful, intricate miracles of life that they themselves are) will supply our bodies with nutrition but the philosophy of God supplies our souls with nutrition. We are our souls. Our souls exist in these bodies... without our bodies, our souls exist because of God. Without Him, they have no life... not even in the body.
6:56 This is how much Jesus loves you: By loving God and absorbing His word... not only do you become, or realize that you are, a part of Him... but He pours into you as well. He lives inside of you. He is that brilliant, pure flame of love that creates and sustains life. He is our home. We are His.
6:57 It's a symbiotic, familial relationship. We exist within and among each other. God's love reverberates, including and fulfilling the entire family.
6:58 Absorbing God's philosophy is the sustenance of eternal, spiritual life.
6:59 These were the messages Jesus brought and spread throughout the world. He fulfilled and continues to fulfill (through the choices and actions of God's compassionate children) this humble, compassionate purpose.
6:60 There is a mixed crowd listening to Jesus: those who loved and accepted what they heard, and those who hated and rejected it (scary to think what kind of individual rejects a message of compassion). The adversaries are unwilling to listen and therefore they but up a block in their minds: an inability to use the tool of perception that God gives.
6:61 Jesus is perceptive. He knows the hearts and minds of all of us, including this bunch. He perceives that some of these people (the adversaries) do not like His message.
6:62 Jesus foretells the ascension of Himself back with God -- knowing that all of humanity will one day experience this. Specifically, these who He was with would witness His Resurrection (and if that did not convince them to follow Him, certainly nothing would).
6:63 All of life is from our spiritual God. Men, in their bodies, are capable of nothing without Him.
6:64-65 Jesus knows that some of them do not believe and He explains something to them (and us). God enables people to become perceptive of these deeper spiritual meanings -- but He only enables it when we unlock them with out compassion. When we work and seek to find the truth, God's philosophy, He bursts the doors wide open for us to enter and learn.
Certain of these people did not want to do the compassionate work which unlocks the gift of wisdom and understanding from God -- true also in our world today. Some people just don't care about or agree with God.
6:66 The non-believers, the fake disciples left. God is not forceful; He allows us to chose our own path... He's so humble, so giving. Our gift from Him is the freedom to determine the destination of our own paths.
6:67-69 Simon Peter expresses that there is nowhere else they would rather be than with Him. Truly there is no place else we would rather be than with God -- because His philosophy is humble and compassionate.
6:70-71 Jesus hints at the purpose behind everything He does. The 12 disciples were specifically selected for their compassionate hearts and hard-working spirits. Also, one of them (a study in itself) was destined to bring about the end of Jesus' time here on Earth. As Jesus death was as much an instruction as was His life, we should work to understand that even Judas' purpose was allowed by God.
