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Gospel: John 6: 22-29
[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Imagine hosting some of your closest friends for dinner.
You really put out a good spread: steaks grilled to perfection, steaming baked potatoes with cheese, chives, and sour cream, a tossed green salad, a California Cabernet, and apple pie à la mode for dessert.
There’s laughter throughout the meal and the sharing of old memories. Both your heart and your stomach are full.
Then when it’s time for your guests to leave, they take out their wallets, put several twenties on the table and ask, “Now, how much do we owe you?”
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It’s an absurd image, really. So absurd I’m sure it’s never happened. Hosting is an act of love. All your dinner guests can be is grateful for the meal.
Maybe write a “thank you.”
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In a sense, that’s what the LORD is asking of us.
We’re two weeks into the Easter season, celebrating the life-changing, mind-blowing reality of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
We can’t lay down a “twenty” to thank Jesus for his sacrifice. But we can lay down our lives, little by little, as an act of gratitude.
I wonder, how might we thank the Lord today?
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Image credits: (1) Christ Triumphing Over Sin and Death, Rubens (2) Outdoor Entertaining by Eye Swoon, Pinterest (3) LoveThisPic