Daily Devotion for Tuesday 27th May 2025

St John 6: 22 – 34

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Reflection

Where’s Jesus? He was here a moment ago and now he has gone. But where? Jesus later explains that having had their fill of fish and bread, the crowds were no longer focussed on him. It is a salutary warning that when all is well, we lose sight of Jesus. But when the hunger returns they go looking for him again. So with us, when there is need we turn once more to God and we re-engage in prayer.
 
The crowds go looking and find fulfilment of Jesus’ promise that those who seek will find. And yet when they find him it still comes as a surprise ‘When did you come here?’ It is almost as though they weren’t expecting to find him. And yet Jesus shows up. Sometimes Jesus shows up at the most surprising of times and in the most unexpected of places. Oh, we of little faith.
 
The crowds had missed what Jesus was about. Yes, the feeding of the five thousand was in many ways a sign and yet, they had only noticed that they had been fed, not realising who Jesus is and what he had come for. The ever-patient Jesus then explains that God-given bread is what brings life to our world.
 
Being a baby boomer I have lived in a world of relative peace and prosperity. It is a shock then to discover a world of unprecedented uncertainty and fear on many fronts. Where’s Jesus now when we need him? As we go looking for him we should not be surprised to find him in the refugee camps, in foodbanks and warm hubs and even sometimes in the corridors of power as a still small voice witnessing and working for a better way of life and living. And indeed, we can be Jesus’ presence wherever we find ourselves and bring life and light to our dark world.
 
Prayer

Lord where are you?
Open our eyes and ears
to see and hear your presence amongst us.
Open our hearts to believe in you
and that you have come to bring life in all its fullness.
Stir us to go
and be there for those who are looking for you. Amen