RCL reading for Sunday, August 2, 2009:
Excerpt from the New Revised Standard Version via Oremus (http://bible.oremus.org)
John 6:24-35
24 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.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’
26 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.
27 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.’
28 Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform 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, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?
31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’
32 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.
33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’
34 They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’
35 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.
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Re: John 6:35 Miraculous provision for life was central in the story of Israel as God provided water from the rock and mannah new each day. How fitting and fantastic that our Lord Jesus would provide in Himself the bread and water to sustain spiritual, eternal life for all who trust Him! The original language givesw us emphases largely untranslatable in smooth English. First, He emphasizes His role:"I, myself, am the bread...." He alone constitutes the provision. Secondly, He emphasizes the action and result. Both participles suggest continuing behavior; "He who is coming facing Me...." and "He who is trusting into Me...." The idea of relationship, personal and constant in indicated. The result is so emphatic. Jesus uses the double negative with both verbs, "not ever" or "never" as this translation puts it. Making each powerful promises is something the Lord was fond of doing. (Cf. John 10:28; 11:26) What a magnificent gift He offers in Himself!
ReplyDeleteRe: Psalm 51 The wondrous element linking David's sinfulness and forgiveness is clearly God's grace and the king's deep understanding and appreciation of it.
Re: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 The bread that rained from heaven is a fascinating story of God's providential care for His people. Within the record there is a humorous story of how the bread came to be named. It involves a play on words in the Hebrew. Verse 15 says that when the children of Israel saw the residue left when the dew evaporated, they exclaimed to each other, "man hu" "what is it?" for they did not know "Ma hu" the "what it was". Verse 31 indicates that they named the coriander-seed-like deposit, "man na", "what-is-it". Daily for forty years they went out to gather the bread from heaven saying as at the beginning "what is it" is here" The gift sustained them until they miraculously entered the Promised Land. (Cf. Josh. 5:12)