Tag Archives: Origen

I Am The Bread of Life

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Jordan satellite


The dark green around the Lake of Galilee in the upper part of this Google satellite picture of Palestine points to good farmland. It was good farmland at the time of Jesus. Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas,  Galilee’s rulers then, appreciated the land and created a network of roads and cities – Tiberius, Sepphoris and Caesarea Maritime on the sea– for shipping goods from Galilee to the rest of the world. Here Jesus proclaims in John’s gospel: “I am the bread of life”,  

All four gospels say that Jesus fed a great crowd near the Sea of Galilee by multiplying a few loaves of bread and some fish. Like the Passover feast, the miracle and the teaching that follows occur over a number of days in the gospels. We will read .John’s account (John 6) at Mass on weekdays from the Friday of the 2nd week of Easter until Saturday of the 3rd week of Easter,

The Passover feast commemorated the Manna God sent from heaven to sustain the Jews on their journey to the promised land. Jesus claims to be the “true bread,” the “living bread” that comes down from heave

Jesus is a commanding presence during the miracle and the days that follow in John’s account. “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” he asks Philip as crowds come to him. Then he directs the crowd to sit down, feeds them with the bread and fish, and says what should be done with the fragments left over. The disciples have only a small role in this miracle.

A sudden storm occurs as Jesus and his disciples return to Nazareth after feeding the crowd. Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea; the forces of nature obey him. All four gospels have some version of Jesus power over the sea and the natural world occurring with this miracle. All obey him.

As Jesus reaches Capernaum after the miracle, the crowds want to make him king. Their faith is imperfect; they are limited in their understanding of this sign from heaven. The disciples are also tested; some walk with him no more.

The miracle of the loaves and the fish reminds us that Jesus is Lord and we are people of limited faith. “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life,” Peter says to Jesus at the end of John’s account. We share His response.

In his commentary on Jesus as the bread of life, the early theologian Origen says that Jesus is bread because he is “nourishment of every kind.” He nourishes our minds and our souls; he also nourishes creation.  When we ask “Give us this day our daily bread,” we’re asking for all that nourishes the life of the world.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Bread from Heaven

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The land around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spoke told the crowds “I am the bread of life” was good farmland then, and it’s good farmland now. In Jesus’ day, Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas, Galilee’s rulers then, appreciated this fertile land and created a network of roads and cities – Tiberius, Sepphoris and Caesarea Maritima on the sea– to export goods from Galilee to the rest of the world.

“I am the bread of life”,  Jesus says.. I am the source of your blessings and everything that is. God the creator works through me.  Moses asked for bread for his people journeying from Egypt.   “I am the bread of life” for all creation as it makes its journey in time, Jesus says.

Jesus makes a divine claim as he feeds a multitude. The crowd  wants to make him king, (John 6, 15) but the kingship they see doesn’t approach the kingship that’s his. It’s much too small; Jesus rejects their plan.

In a commentary on Jesus as the bread of life, the early theologian Origen says that Jesus calls himself bread because he is “nourishment of every kind,” not just nourishment of our bodies, but of our minds and souls and, beyond that, creation itself.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” We pray, not just for ourselves, but for creation.

By a Winding Road

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The great 3rd century scholar Origin, whom I mentioned in my last post, was well acquainted with the holy land, since he was a native of Alexandria in Egypt and taught for a time in Caesarea Maritima, about 60 miles from Jerusalem. He’s one of the first Christian sources to speak of the cave at Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, and he must have been aware of other places associated with Jesus as well.

I remember  a pilgrimage I made  to Mount Sinai years ago, with Origin’s commentary “On Exodus” in hand, traveling by bus from the Red Sea through the mountains on what seemed like an interminable, narrow winding road. “We go to God by a winding road,” Origin said in his commentary, and I knew he had traveled this road.

His commentary explored the spiritual meaning of the scriptural events, but he was there all right. He didn’t forget what was there.

As a pilgrim in Jerusalem he must have stood before the ruins of the temple in Jerusalem. According to early sources, Jews came regularly to the Mount of Olives across from the Kidron Valley to look upon the ruined temple and mourn its passing. Origen must have seen them there. The present custom of gathering for prayer and remembrance at the “wailing wall” or western wall today began with them.

Then as now, some thought of rebuilding the temple, because they couldn’t envision their faith without it. Others realized that the Presence they sought there could be found elsewhere in other towns and places. Their synagogues and homes became more important as places of faith and worship.

Origen thought like the Jews who looked beyond the ruins. “Troubles and persecutions” led to rebuilding, but somewhere else and in another way. At the same time, he looked upon the ruins and acknowledged their glory, as signs of the One “who is, who was, and is to come.”