Year of the Bible
John 6
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Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John, Chapter 6:
After revealing Himself as the obedient Son in chapter 5, Jesus the Son now reflects the actions of His Father from Old Testament events. Jesus multiplies bread to feed a crowd (2 Kings 4:42-44), demonstrates power over the water (Genesis 1:7; Exodus 7:19, 14:21), and offers the bread from Heaven while people murmur at Him (Exodus 16). Jesus describes Himself as the bread of life and reveals that His flesh and blood must be eaten. Since cannibalism and drinking blood is against Jewish law, some of His followers leave. Others accept the hard truths, believing that Jesus is the Holy One of God whose words offer eternal life.
The Gospel According to St. John, Chapter 6:
Feeding the Five Thousand
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, 20 but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiberias came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live be cause of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” 59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him. 67 Jesus said to the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was to betray him.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Today we read the Bread of Life Discourse, foundational to our belief about the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Multiple times now, Jesus has declared what he does in verse sixty-five: "No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." Wherever you are in your faith, be you a life-long disciple or one who is just now exploring a curiosity of faith and the Word of God, God has first moved in you to bring you to the place you are now. He is always inspiring you in the moments you seek him. Even right now, the desire you had to open today's meditation and read the scripture came from him. Spend some time today in prayer of praise and gratitude for the work God has done in your life to bring you where you're at right now.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. Catholic Biblical School of Michigan (cbsmich.org/join).
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Juan 6
6 1 Después de esto partió Jesús a la
otra orilla del mar de Galilea, el de
Tiberíades. 2 Le seguía una gran muchedumbre
porque veían los signos que
hacía con los enfermos. 3 Jesús subió al
monte y se sentó allí con sus discípulos.
4 Pronto iba a ser la Pascua, la fiesta de
los judíos.
5 Jesús, al levantar la mirada y ver
que venía hacia él una gran muchedumbre,
le dijo a Felipe:
–¿Dónde vamos a comprar pan para
que coman éstos? 6 –lo decía para probarle,
pues él sabía lo que iba a hacer.
7 Felipe le respondió:
–Doscientos denarios de pan no
bastan ni para que cada uno coma un
poco.
8 Uno de sus discípulos, Andrés, el
hermano de Simón Pedro, le dijo:
9 –Aquí hay un muchacho que tiene
cinco panes de cebada y dos peces; pero,
¿qué es esto para tantos?
10 Jesús dijo:
–Mandad a la gente que se siente –había
en aquel lugar hierba abundante.
Y se sentaron un total de unos cinco
mil hombres. 11 Jesús tomó los panes
y, después de dar gracias, los repartió a
los que estaban sentados, e igualmente
les dio cuantos peces quisieron.
12 Cuando quedaron saciados, les
dijo a sus discípulos:
–Recoged los trozos que han sobrado
para que no se pierda nada.
13 Y los recogieron, y llenaron doce
cestos con los trozos de los cinco panes
de cebada que sobraron a los que habían
comido.
14 Aquellos hombres, viendo el signo
que Jesús había hecho, decían:
–Éste es verdaderamente el Profeta
que viene al mundo.
15 Jesús, conociendo que estaban dispuestos
a llevárselo para hacerle rey, se
retiró otra vez al monte él solo.
16 Cuando estaba atardeciendo, bajaron
sus discípulos al mar, 17 embarcaron
y pusieron rumbo a la otra orilla, hacia
Cafarnaún. Ya había oscurecido y Jesús
aún no se había reunido con ellos. 18 El
mar estaba agitado a causa del fuerte
viento que soplaba. 19 Después de remar
unos veinticinco o treinta estadios, vieron
a Jesús que andaba sobre el mar y se
acercaba hacia la barca, y les entró miedo.
20 Pero él les dijo:
–Soy yo, no temáis.
21 Entonces ellos quisieron que subiera
a la barca; y al instante la barca llegó
a tierra, al lugar adonde iban. 22 Al día siguiente, la multitud que estaba
al otro lado del mar vio que no había
allí más que una sola barca, y que Jesús no
había subido a ella con sus discípulos, sino
que éstos se habían marchado solos.
23 De Tiberíades otras barcas llegaron
cerca del lugar donde habían comido
el pan después de que el Señor diera
gracias. 24 Cuando la multitud vio que ni
Jesús ni sus discípulos estaban allí, subieron
a las barcas y fueron a Cafarnaún
buscando a Jesús. 25 Y al encontrarle en
la otra orilla del mar, le preguntaron:
–Maestro, ¿cuándo has llegado
aquí?
26 Jesús les respondió:
–En verdad, en verdad os digo que
vosotros me buscáis no por haber visto
los signos, sino porque habéis comido
los panes y os habéis saciado. 27 Obrad
no por el alimento que se consume sino
por el que perdura hasta la vida eterna,
el que os dará el Hijo del Hombre, pues
a éste lo confirmó Dios Padre con su sello.
28 Ellos le preguntaron:
–¿Qué debemos hacer para realizar
las obras de Dios?
29 Jesús les respondió:
–Ésta es la obra de Dios: que creáis
en quien Él ha enviado. 30 Le dijeron:
–¿Y qué signo haces tú, para que lo
veamos y te creamos? ¿Qué obras realizas
tú? 31 Nuestros padres comieron en
el desierto el maná, como está escrito:
Les dio a comer pan del cielo.
32 Les respondió Jesús:
–En verdad, en verdad os digo que
Moisés no os dio el pan del cielo, sino
que mi Padre os da el verdadero pan del
cielo. 33 Porque el pan de Dios es el que
ha bajado del cielo y da la vida al mundo.
34 –Señor, danos siempre de este pan
–le dijeron ellos.
35 Jesús les respondió:
–Yo soy el pan de vida; el que viene
a mí no tendrá hambre, y el que cree
en mí no tendrá nunca sed. 36 Pero os lo
he dicho: me habéis visto y no creéis.
37 Todo lo que me da el Padre vendrá a
mí, y al que viene a mí no lo echaré fuera,
38 porque he bajado del cielo no para
hacer mi voluntad sino la voluntad de
Aquel que me ha enviado. 39 Ésta es la
voluntad de Aquel que me ha enviado:
que no pierda nada de lo que Él me ha
dado, sino que lo resucite en el último
día. 40 Porque ésta es la voluntad de mi
Padre: que todo el que ve al Hijo y cree
en él tenga vida eterna, y yo le resucitaré
en el último día. 41 Los judíos, entonces, comenzaron a
murmurar de él por haber dicho: «Yo
soy el pan que ha bajado del cielo». 42 Y decían:
–¿No es éste Jesús, el hijo de José, de
quien conocemos a su padre y a su madre?
¿Cómo es que ahora dice: «He bajado
del cielo»?
43 Respondió Jesús y les dijo:
–No murmuréis entre vosotros. 44 Nadie
puede venir a mí si no le atrae el Padre
que me ha enviado, y yo le resucitaré
en el último día. 45 Está escrito en los Profetas:
Y serán todos enseñados por Dios.
Todo el que ha escuchado al que viene
del Padre, y ha aprendido, viene a mí.
46 No es que alguien haya visto al Padre,
sino que aquel que procede de Dios, ése
ha visto al Padre. 47 En verdad, en verdad
os digo que el que cree tiene vida eterna.
48 »Yo soy el pan de vida. 49 Vuestros
padres comieron en el desierto el maná
y murieron. 50 Éste es el pan que baja del
cielo, para que si alguien lo come no
muera. 51 Yo soy el pan vivo que ha bajado
del cielo. Si alguno come este pan
vivirá eternamente; y el pan que yo daré
es mi carne para la vida del mundo.
52 Los judíos se pusieron a discutir
entre ellos:
–¿Cómo puede éste darnos a comer
su carne?
53 Jesús les dijo:
–En verdad, en verdad os digo que si
no coméis la carne del Hijo del Hombre
y no bebéis su sangre, no tendréis vida
en vosotros. 54 El que come mi carne y
bebe mi sangre tiene vida eterna, y yo
le resucitaré en el último día. 55 Porque
mi carne es verdadera comida y mi sangre
es verdadera bebida. 56 El que come
mi carne y bebe mi sangre permanece
en mí y yo en él. 57 Igual que el Padre que
me envió vive y yo vivo por el Padre,
así, aquel que me come vivirá por mí.
58 Éste es el pan que ha bajado del cielo,
no como el que comieron los padres
y murieron: quien come este pan vivirá
eternamente.
59 Estas cosas dijo en la sinagoga, enseñando
en Cafarnaún.
60 Al oír esto, muchos de sus discípulos
dijeron:
–Es dura esta enseñanza, ¿quién
puede escucharla?
61 Jesús, conociendo en su interior
que sus discípulos estaban murmurando
de esto, les dijo:
–¿Esto os escandaliza? 62 Pues, ¿si
vierais al Hijo del Hombre subir adonde
estaba antes? 63 El espíritu es el que da
vida, la carne no sirve de nada: las palabras
que os he hablado son espíritu y
son vida. 64 Sin embargo, hay algunos de
vosotros que no creen.
En efecto, Jesús sabía desde el principio
quiénes eran los que no creían y
quién era el que le iba a entregar.
65 Y añadía:
–Por eso os he dicho que ninguno
puede venir a mí si no se lo ha concedido
el Padre.
66 Desde ese momento muchos discípulos
se echaron atrás y ya no andaban
con él.
67 Entonces Jesús les dijo a los doce:
–¿También vosotros queréis marcharos?
68 Le respondió Simón Pedro:
–Señor, ¿a quién iremos? Tú tienes
palabras de vida eterna; 69 nosotros hemos
creído y conocido que tú eres el
Santo de Dios.
70 Les respondió Jesús:
–¿No os he elegido yo a los doce?
Sin embargo, uno de vosotros es un diablo.
71 Se refería a Judas, hijo de Simón Iscariote,
porque él, aun siendo uno de los
doce, era el que le iba a entregar.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Hoy leímos el Discurso del Pan de Vida, que es fundamento de nuestra creencia en la Presencia Verdadera de Jesús en la Eucaristía. En varias ocasiones ya, Jesús ha declarado lo que hace en el verso sesenta y cinco: "Nadie puede venir a mí si no se los ha concedido el Padre." Dónde sea que estés en tu fe, ya seas un discípulo de toda la vida o alguien que está explorando una curiosidad de fe y la Palabra de Dios, Dios se ha movido primero en tí para traerte al lugar en que estás ahora. El siempre te está inspirando en lo que lo buscas. Incluso ahora mismo, el deseo que tuviste de abrir la meditación del día de hoy y leer la escritura vino de Él. Pasa algo de tiempo hoy en oración de alabanza y gratitud por el trabajo que Dios ha hecho en tu vida para traerte a dónde te encuentras ahora mismo.
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).