John 6 Sacra Pagina

Sacra Pagina Series Vol. 4.
William précised  Interpretations of John 6:71.
See Insert jump break below.  

John 6:1-71 Jesus of Passover F.Moloney, p.194. The Johannine community, now excluded from the Jewish ritual celebrations yet equally the product of a postwar Jewish world, developed a story that told of Jesus' presence at the Sea of Galilee at Passover time in the following fashion:

(a) Vv. 1-4: An introduction: where? when? who? why? (b) Vv. 5-15: The miracle of the loaves and fishes. (c) Vv. 16-21: Jesus comes to the disciples across the stormy sea. (d) Vv. 22-24: A second introduction: where? when? who? why? (e) Vv. 25-59: The discourse on the bread from heaven. (f) Vv. 60-71: The crisis created by the word of Jesus: i. Vv. 60-66: Many disciples leave Jesus. ii. Vv. 67-71: Peter's confession leads Jesus to warn of Judas' betrayal.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Donald ...
To: William ...
Sent: Sat, 14 May, 2011 16:33:42
Subject: Re: John 6 - Sacra Pagina / 2+

Dear William,

Thank you.

Downloaded, printed and I am off to browse quietly.

During the Saturday Sacristan stint preparing for Sunday, some other questions surfaced.

One was the word, klasmata, another was mata tauta. Words quoted in the passages of your Interpretations. Then it was not easy to put my finger on the verses. I put the Greek in the Google  Search. Amazingly it gave the answers and hundreds of links. 

Mata tauta Jn 6:1 = after this.

Klasmata Jn 6:12 = fragments, broken pieces, As in "break of bread" knitting the Eucharist context.

Excuse my meandering - 

and checked the same in Kittel, Brown and Langrange sworn for by F. Moloney. His one Volume usefully chrysalises the might sources. 

Blessing on your great lectio.

Donald
 

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk    
Blogspot :http://www.domdonald.org.uk/

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From: William ...
To: Donald ...
Sent: Sat, 14 May, 2011 13:34:52
Subject: John 6 - Sacra Pagina / 2

Dear Father Donald,

 

THAT has been perhaps the most fascinating 'study' you have ever encouraged me to undertake!

 

I have focused on the Sacra Pagina "Interpretations" and have built for myself a summary of the key points within the detail given, endeavouring to miss none of the subtle undertones (eg. the significance of the collected remainder of the loaves). Fascinating! There is EVEN more to go at in the Notes, but I decided that I would grind to a halt if I tried to bring those inflections into my summary. Those fine fruits remain to ferment to maturity within the winepress of lectio reflection!

 

The progression of the revelation in this chapter simply takes one's breath away.

 

Thank you for all your wonderful encouragement!

 

... in Our Risen Lord,

William

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM ...
To: Donald ... 
Sent: Friday, 13 May, 2011 20:31:01
Subject: Re: John 6 - Sacra Pagina

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you for opening up the earlier sections of the Sacra Pagina commentary on John 6 for me! I have moved my bookmark back (Play Back Fast!) to page 193 and how much more subtle and structured now appears the discourse that follows! Whilst I readily mark the margins of 'study books' (eg O'Collins Christology), I keep this fabulous set of commentaries in pristine condition, and so rely for mental unravelling on pencil and paper; but on this occasion, needing to be moving forward and back, I have typed up key quotes and own 'moments of delight' to build a pyramid of understanding. Several hours have passed and I have only just reached my earlier starting point, but now I have a more sure foundation! I attach my notes thus far. These will fill my quietness of evening / dawn observing all the colours and contours of the stones, exciting me to continue on the morrow as I see the structure beginning to take shape. Then I can polish the stones and have a bookmark that I will frame, within the pages!

Thank you Father. What a joy it is to put each building block of understanding in place!

 

... in Our Risen Lord,

William

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From: Donald ...
To: William ... 
Sent: Friday, 13 May, 2011 16:28:48
Subject: Fw: John 6 - Sacra Pagina

Dear William,

Thank you for sailing the high seas of John 6.
 Previously an Email was the carrot to my donkey to Pope's 'Jesus of Nazareth'.

The carrot this time is the goad from your Sacra Pagina move forward. p. 193  

There are three passages in Sacra Pagina, each gathering pace in revelation. I began sedately with the first of the "Interpretations" that applied to today's Gospel passage, but the pace outpaced my resolve! [Page 214-215, verses 34-40] sets the scene, [page 217-219, verses 41-51] develops the theme, [page 221-224, verses 52-59] brings the revelation to a fulfilling climax. And the joy is that, over the next two days, I can re-read these 'interpretations' again, and again (at my own pace, knowing where they are heading!).

One day - either in learned book form (or indeed via an 'Android app'!), I should like to venture into the recommended texts which are listed "for reference and further study", but for now, I will relish all that Sacra Pagina presents.  

So I need to Play Back Fast to the whole Introduction to 6:1-71.

Getting the framework gives me the perspectives.

Francis Maloney SDB, Aus., writes, "The rich interplay of theological themes ans the complexity of the ongoing discussion with the Jewish Passover traditions have made this section of the Fourth Gospel one of the most discussed texts in the New Testament. The interpreter faces a number of critical problems."

The "Interpretations" you locate are daunting. The NOTES are equally absorbing. The Notes on 34-40 show that Maloney very concentrated on this 6th Chapter of John. I put the details beside the Biblos.com Website with more lairs of interest. Maloney's own translation Verse 36 mentions alternative manuscripts, Sinaiticus, Old Latin, Sinaiticus Syriac, Curentonian Syriac. Just a flag to say there is more to check! 

Moloney 8 Reviews in Amazon Com. (Prolific scripture writer)

Back to discoveries.

God bless.

Donald

e) The Discourse on the Bread from heaven (6:25-59)  p.207. Introduction to 6:25-59. The rich interplay of theological themes and the complexity of the ongoing discussion with Jewish Passover traditions have made this section of the Fourth Gospel one of the most discussed texts in the New Testament.  … Five interventions from the crowd or "the Jews" give vv. 25-59 their shape.

(a) Vv. 25-29: "Rabbi, when did you come here?" (v. 25). This trivial question leads Jesus to instruct the crowd on the need to search for the food that endures to eternal life: belief in the one whom God has sent. (b) Vv. 30-33: "Then what signs do you do?" (v. 30). Jesus is asked for miracle-working credentials that surpass Moses' gift of the manna (vv. 30-31). He points to another bread from heaven, the true bread from heaven. (c) Vv. 34-40: "Lord, give us this bread always" (v. 34). Jesus presents himself as the true bread from heaven, the only one able to make God known and give eternal life. (d) Vv. 41-51: "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (v. 42). Jesus discusses the question of origins. (e) Vv. 52-59: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (v. 52). A final question leads Jesus to instruct "the Jews" on the need to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. The discourse unfolds around these questions and answers, each section developing a new thought around the single theme of the bread from heaven. The interpretation will comment on each section in turn. The section For Reference and Further Study follows the interpretation of vv. 51-59.

Jesus and the Passover (John 6:1-71)

Summary of key points detailed within the “Interpretation” sections of the Sacra Pagina commentary by Francis J. Moloney

Introduction

The Johannine community (writing as ‘John’ himself, continuing his form and style) developed a story that told of Jesus’ presence at the Sea of Galilee at Passover time by relating connecting material, the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus coming to the disciples across the stormy sea, followed by Jesus discourse on the bread from heaven, followed by the crisis he created by his teaching with many disciples leaving him, leading to Peter’s confession.

An Introduction (6:1-4) – The mountain scene chosen by Jesus brings out the parallel to Moses, and the mention of the Passover time sets the theological agenda.

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (6:5-15) – Again with the Moses parallel, where he asked God how he could feed the people (Num 11:13), Jesus tests his disciples by asking them this same question. However, Jesus’ question misses the point with the disciples for material food alone holds their attention, not the spiritual food that Jesus had earlier been describing as his acceptance of the will of the one who sent him (4:32-34). Taking the loaves, giving thanks, and distributing them recalls the formal setting of a Eucharistic celebration, blending the Passover and Eucharist, significantly at Passover time which celebrated the gift of manna. The collecting of the remaining blessed and broken loaves contrasts with the manna which perished. This miracle led to a limited faith, the crowds seeing Jesus as a Moses-like prophet. Jesus is not prepared to accept such acclamation.

The Miracle on the Sea (6:16-21) – It is as Lord that Jesus comes across the water, revealing himself to the disciples with the formula “I AM”, telling them not to fear. The setting is of OT literary form for a theophany (a dark night, a storm, fear). Whereas the multiplication of the loaves did not advance the crowd’s understanding of Jesus, his self-revelation to the disciples leads them to “receive” him. How their faith will develop from here remains an open question.

A Second Introduction (6:22-24) – The story moves on to the next day, drawing closer to the time of the Passover, as the crowds track Jesus down on the other side of the lake, at Capernaum. They were anxious to see this prophet again.

The Discourse on the Bread from Heaven (6:25-59) – It is the rhythm of questions, or interventions, from the crowd or ‘the Jews’ and Jesus’ answers that determines the shape of the discourse which centres on the rich interplay of theological themes and Jewish Passover traditions. Sections that are overtly Eucharistic (vv 51-58) may represent formulae in use by the Johannine community, woven into the discourse to clarify Jesus’ meaning according to their developing understanding of Jesus’ words.  

Verses 25-29 – Jesus scolds the crowd for their motive in seeking him out, telling them that there is a form of nourishment that transcends earthly bread, and that this must be the goal of their searching, which is the future gift of the Son of Man, the source of eternal life. The crowds attempt to bypass this by implying in their questions that the Law gave them direct access to God, to which Jesus responds by indicating that the works of the Law are but a shadow of the possibilities he offers them - access to God through belief in him. Jesus has set the subject of the discourse that follows within the context of the Passover: nourishment, bread from heaven, and revelation of God.

Verses 30-33 – The crowd stresses that Moses, and the manna, and the Torah give life to Israel, asking Jesus what sign he might give which authorised him to challenge them. Jesus replies that the manna was the gift of God which is now surpassed by the true bread from heaven in the gift of his Father: manna gave nourishment, the true bread gives life.

Verses 34-40 – But they continued to misunderstand the nature of the bread, asking for more bread from heaven to eat. This gives Jesus the opening to identify himself with the once-and-for-all gift of bread: “I am the bread of life”, claiming that he is perfecting the former gift of the life-giving nourishment of the Torah, and extending it to all people, to satisfy the deepest needs of humankind. It is to be noticed that the words of Jesus are in the future tense. This promise of a future moment also brings forward the subtle reference in the miracle of the loaves to the basket of bread that had remained over.  The crowds, however, show that they continue to interpret the miracle in terms of their Mosaic traditions and still do not believe the revelation; they had seen the miracle, but had failed to grasp its meaning, and so Jesus continues upon the theme of universality, embracing the whole of humankind. Woven by the compiler into this statement can be seen encouragement to the members of the Johannine community who had been ‘cast out’ of the Jewish religious circles because of their belief in Jesus. Referring back to the former things as gifts of God, Jesus tells them that his presence is a reflection of the will of the Father: the Father gives, the Father sends, and Jesus is responding unconditionally to the will of the one who sent him. Jesus is forming a new people of God which includes whomsoever the Father gives him, none of whom will be lost. He brings nourishment and life to all who come to him and believe in him, promising eternal life to those who would perfect their adherence to the Law by believing in the Son sent by the Father. Thus Jesus founds his testimony upon the concrete reality of the Law, the words of God that spoke to the lived situation of a chosen people, revealing that it is perfected in him: the universal and never-ending promise of life is made to all.

Verses 41-51 – From amongst the crowd, “the Jews” come forward, increasing the hostility. They challenge Jesus’ claim on the basis that his human father and mother are known, refusing to consider that his true origin is by descent from his Father above: but his claims can be understood only in terms of his origin. He likens their ‘murmuring’ to that of the people under Moses whose murmuring was ‘not against us, but against the Lord’ (Exod 16:8) by pointing to the Father, and explaining his role in terms of his origins with the Father. While God determines the process, the encounter lies between the human being and the revelation of God in Jesus, the Son of the Father. The OT prophets had said that they ‘shall be taught by God’ (Isa 54:13) and Jesus claims that all who have truly learned from God will come to him. There follows a further contrast with Moses: he beheld God in a special way but Jesus alone has seen God and, by his origin, comes from God and makes him known: those who ate the manna and lived by the Law died, whilst those will not die who consume the new bread from heaven, Jesus who came from heaven, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). The intensity of the discourse increases as Jesus tells them, “The bread that I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (v.51c). There is a mounting impression that there will be a definitive nourishment that will forever satisfy the needs of all who believe in Jesus. They had been told to labour for a food that endures; they had been told that all who come to him will not hunger; the disciples had been commanded to gather up the remaining bread that it might not be lost; and now Jesus outrages the Jews by telling them that he will give his flesh for the life of the world. The next section starts with their horrified question, asking how this possible, shedding light upon when and how Jesus’ promise of the bread that surpasses all that the Passover celebrates will be given.

Verses 52-59 – Their question allows Jesus to conclude his discourse on his perfection of the Mosaic gift of bread. Unable to go beyond the physical, the Jews by their question misunderstand Jesus’ promise. Jesus insists on a gift of flesh and blood. “Flesh” and “blood” emphasize that it is the incarnate life and very real death of the Son that are life-giving food.  Jesus will provide a food that is his flesh and blood, nourishing the whole world with the gift of himself. He now tells them of the absolute need to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, and as he does so, the hints of the Eucharist continue to insinuate themselves into his words. Flesh is to be broken and blood is to be spilled, such violence having been in the air since the Jews began to look for a way to kill him, and Jesus now associates the separation of flesh and blood in a violent death as the moment of the total giving of himself. The ongoing presence of Jesus has been subtly hinted at in the fragments that were gathered up after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, his enduring gift, food that will never perish but forever satisfy all hunger and thirst. The Passover context, the manna and the Law given at Sinai, have lead into this further revelation of God in the broken body and spilled blood of the Son of Man. On the basis of the entire discourse Jesus lays claim to his flesh and blood as authentically food and drink. Through a total absorption of the revelation of God made available through the bloody death of Jesus, believers will come to a mutality in which they live in Jesus and Jesus lives in them, the mutual indwelling that flows from the union that exists between “the living Father” and his Son who has life in him because of the intimacy between them; thus Jesus has the authority to pass on life to those who accept the revelation of the Father in the Son. Whilst this had been spoken of before by Jesus, the imagery here is changed by the Passover context from “belief in” to “the one who eats me”. Unconditional commitment to the revelation of God in and through Jesus leads to life here and hereafter: the one who eats the flesh of Jesus will live because of him, and as Jesus lives because of the Father, the believer lives and will live because of Jesus. All former gifts from heaven have been surpassed and a new possibility has entered the human story. Standing in a Jewish centre of worship during Passover time, Jesus has uttered a message that presupposes, fulfils, and transcends a Jewish Passover tradition. 

The Eucharist in John 6:51c-58 - While the main thrust of the discourse is to point to Jesus as the revelation of God, the author insinuates eucharistic language into the final section to affirm that one is to encounter the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ in the eucharistic celebration. The subtle reference to the remainder of the loaves (v.12), the promise of a future gift of food (v.27), the reference to the satisfying food and drink (v.35), and the further promise of the gift of the flesh of Jesus (v.51c), together with the gradual unfolding of the verb “to eat” (v.49-58), keep the eucharistic theme running throughout. The Eucharist renders concrete what the compiler has spelled out throughout the discourse; encountering the broken flesh and the spilled blood of Jesus, lifted up on a cross, the believer is called to make a decision for or against the revelation of God in that encounter.

The Crisis Created by the Word of Jesus (6:60-71) – This Christian reinterpretation of the Mosaic traditions brought pain and division to the Johannine community; “the Jews” were outraged, but so were “many of the disciples” who failed because they were attempting to assess Jesus’ words and actions by the superficial judgement of human expectation. Such an approach to Jesus is by its nature ‘of the flesh’ [literal], and “the flesh is of no avail” (v.63b) where the words of Jesus are concerned, being spirit and life [spiritual]. What matters is the life-giving power of the Spirit, made available to the disciples in and through the revelation of God in and through the word of Jesus. It is the initiative of God that is the ultimate explanation for the disciple who comes believingly to Jesus and never turns away. It is not information that makes a disciple, but a Spirit-filled response to the Father made known in the word of Jesus. Simon Peter’s response indicates that the Father does not fail to draw believing disciples towards Jesus, reflecting the unconditional openness to the word of Jesus of those who have arrived at belief in Jesus and are living from that faith and knowledge. Peter has expressed faith in Jesus for the right reason: his origins. The holiness of Jesus comes from the fact that he is of God. This expression of faith does not itself close the discourse. Jesus chose the Twelve but there is a larger design in God’s leading some to Jesus, and each believer is free to accept or refuse this gift. There is a betrayer, and the shadow of a violent death which has fallen across much of the celebration of the Passover again emerges.