Daily Devotion for Wednesday 28th May 2025
St John 6: 35-40
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 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 on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’
Reflection
John 6 is a chapter rich in theology, assurance, and mystery.
Famously there’s no account of the Last Supper in John’s Gospel but we have, again and again, in Chapter 6 Jesus’ words about him being the bread of life who satisfies. Everytime we share Communion we are fed by the Lord’s own hand, lifted into his presence and fed with his very self. Jesus satisfies our hungers in ways that nothing else can.
In today’s snippet we read that Jesus will never drive us away. We may, of course, drive ourselves away; we may flee from God’s presence due our shame, stubbornness and stupidity but Jesus promises never to drive away those who come to him.
And there’s mystery. The mystery we grapple with at every Communion service when the simple things of bread and wine become tokens of the divine presence, the puzzle of a God made flesh, the enigma of the resurrection at the end of time. We ponder these mysteries but, most of all, seek to live them.
So next time you take part in a Communion service take time to ponder Christ’s presence feeding your soul, be assured that Jesus will never drive you away and hope for the last day when we, with him, will be raised.
Prayer
Raise us into Your presence Lord Jesus
every time we meet you in bread and wine.
Raise us in your love, Living Lord,
as we hear again your promise of loving welcome.
Raise us on the Last Day, Lord Jesus,
and cause us to live forever with you. Amen.