John 6:1-59
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given 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 the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Matthew 16:1-12
The Demand for a Sign
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread.6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn't bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I have at times, in the past, wanted a personal sign from God or Jesus, so I could just say "yes", He has done everything that He and His Son have said they have in the Bible...And I did not care if the sign be a small one...But even with a small sign, if I would receive one, (I must ask myself) would that really do it for me and help perfect my faith?...Would all doubts leave me?...I must realize that Jesus has done enough signs...
Jesus had just fed five thousand people with a few small fish and a few loafs of bread...He had walked on water, although it is possible that only the Disciples saw this sign (of walking on water)...But He did many signs throughout His three year ministry, and many saw His signs...And after hearing and seeing many signs, He tells the crowds and declares to them, “I AM the Bread of Life...Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty...But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe...All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away...For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me...And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day...For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”...At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I AM the Bread that came down from heaven.”...They said, “Is this not Jesus, the Son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?...How can He now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”...
Jesus told the people He came down from heaven, and thus saying this is a sign that He was sent by God and a sign from God...After all He had been doing many other signs throughout His ministry...But even with all the signs that He did, the crowd still grumbled among themselves and did not believe...He is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven...The people have seen Him and seen Him do these signs and still they did not believe...And this disbelief continued for many...Even the Disciples were wondering about Him and who He was, and they had seen most if not all of His signs...He is a hard One to understand and has this complexity and mystery around Him...
At another time the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested Him by asking Him to show them another sign from heaven...He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’...You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times...A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”...Jesus then left them and went away...
Some remain blinded by all the things He has already done, and either refuse to take into account all the signs He has already done, or just tend to overlook them...And as St. Matthew writes about the demand for a sign, the demands come from the disbelievers, those who are in doubt...Jesus' ministry, His teachings, all His signs, and the sign of Jonah -His resurrection are the signs He is from God...And in His yeast parable, He warns His Disciples and us against testing God as the Pharisees and Sadducees have done...Testing Him and getting together in disbelief is harmful to our faith, as the Pharisees and Sadducees did...And He tells His Disciples and us that those who do not believe and have little faith do not understand the things He says...Understanding Him and believing that He came from God, requires faith...Believing in signs requires faith...When Jesus says you of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?...Do you still not understand?...Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?...It is a matter of not understanding Him...Understanding Him requires faith...