Homily 44 — John 6, verses 26 and 27

“Jesus answered them and said, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.’” [a]

Mild and gentle words are not always useful; there are times when the teacher needs sharper language. If the disciple is dull and thick-headed, then, to touch his dullness to the quick, we must rouse him with a goad. The Son of God did this here, as in many other cases. When the crowds had come and found Jesus, they were flattering him and saying, “Teacher, when did you come here?” He wanted to show that he does not desire honor from people, but looks to one thing only, their salvation, and so he answers them sharply. He wished to correct them not only in this way, but also by revealing and exposing their thoughts. For what does he say? “Truly, truly, I tell you” — speaking emphatically, with a solemn affirmation — “you seek me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

He rebukes and reproves them with these words, yet not abruptly or harshly, but with great restraint. He does not say, “You gluttons, you slaves of your bellies! I have worked so many wonders, and you never once followed me or marveled at what I did.” Instead he speaks mildly and gently, something like this: “You seek me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” He is speaking not only of the past, but also of the present miracle. “It was not the miracle of the loaves that amazed you,” he says, “but being filled.”

And they showed at once that he had not said this of them by guesswork. This was the very reason they had come a second time: they expected to enjoy the same food as before. That is why they said, “Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness.” Again they drag him back to the subject of food for the body, and this was the chief charge and accusation against them. But he does not stop at rebukes; he adds instruction too, saying, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.”

“Which the Son of Man gives you; for God the Father has set his seal on him.”

What he means is something like this: “Take no account of this earthly food, but of that spiritual food.” But some who want to live doing nothing have abused this saying, as though Christ meant to abolish work altogether, and so it is timely to say a few words to them. For they bring slander, so to speak, on the whole of Christianity, and hold it up to ridicule for idleness. First, however, we must mention that saying of Paul. What does he say? “Remember the Lord, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20, verse 35). Now how can someone give who has nothing?

How, then, does Jesus say to Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part” (Luke 10, verses 41 and 42)? And again, “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6, verse 34)? We must now settle all these questions, not only to check people who would like to be idle, but also so that the oracles of God may not seem to bring in contradictions. For Paul says in another place, “But we urge you, brothers, that you increase more and more, that you make it your aim to live quietly and to mind your own business, so that you may walk decently toward those outside” (First Thessalonians 4, verses 10, 11, and 12). And again, “Let the one who stole steal no more; rather, let him labor, working with his own hands, so that he may have something to give to the one in need” (Ephesians 4, verse 28). Here the apostle does not simply bid them “work,” but work so vigorously and so hard that they have something from it to give to others. And in another place the same apostle says again, “These hands served my needs, and the needs of those who were with me” (Acts 20, verse 34). And writing to the Corinthians he said, “What then is my reward? Truly, that when I preach the good news I may offer the good news of Christ free of charge” (First Corinthians 9, verse 18). And when he was in that city, he stayed with Aquila and Priscilla, “and worked, for by trade they were tentmakers” (Acts 18, verse 3).

On the letter, these passages seem even more plainly opposed to one another, so we must now bring forward the solution. What, then, is our reply? That “do not worry” does not mean “do not work,” but “do not be nailed to the things of this life” — that is, take no care for tomorrow’s ease, but count that as something superfluous. For a person may do no work and still store up treasure for tomorrow; and a person may work and yet worry about nothing. Worry and work are not the same thing. A man does not work putting his trust in his work, but works “so that he may share with the one in need.”

What was said to Martha, too, refers not to works and working, but to this: that it is our duty to know the right season, and not to spend on bodily things the time that belongs to listening. So Christ did not speak these words to urge her to idleness, but to fasten her to listening. “I came,” he says, “to teach you what is needful, and you are anxious about a meal. Do you want to welcome me and set a costly table for me? Provide a different kind of hospitality: give me a ready hearing, and imitate your sister’s longing for instruction.” He did not say this to forbid her hospitality — far from it! How could that be? — but to show that in the season for listening she ought not to be busy about other things.

For to say, “Do not labor for the food that perishes,” is not the language of someone who means that we ought to be idle. In fact, idleness is most especially “food that perishes,” for idleness usually teaches every kind of wickedness. It means rather that we ought to work, and to share. This is the food that never perishes. But if someone is idle and gluttonous and cares for luxury, that man labors for “the food that perishes.” So too, if a man by his labor feeds Christ, gives him drink, and clothes him, who would be so senseless as to say that such a person labors for the food that perishes, when for this there is the promise of the kingdom to come, and of those good things? This food endures forever.

But at that time the crowds made no account of faith. They did not try to learn who it was that did these things, and by what power; they wanted one thing only, to fill their bellies without working. So Christ with good reason called such food “food that perishes.” “I fed your bodies,” he says, “so that after this you might seek that other food, the food that endures and nourishes the soul. But you run after earthly food again. And so you do not understand that I am not leading you to this imperfect food, but to the food that gives, not life for a time, but eternal life, and that nourishes not the body but the soul.”

Then, having spoken such great words about himself, and having said that he would give this food, he credits the supply to the Father, so that what he had said would not stand in their way, and to make his saying believable. For after saying, “which the Son of Man will give you,” he adds, “God the Father has set his seal on him” — that is, “has sent him for this very purpose, to bring the food to you.” The saying also admits of another interpretation. For in another place Christ says, “Whoever hears my words has set his seal to this, that God is true” (John 3, verse 33) — that is, has “shown it beyond all denial.” And this, it seems to me, is what the expression hints at here as well; for “the Father has set his seal” means nothing else than “has declared,” “has revealed by his testimony.” He did in fact declare himself too; but since he was speaking to Jews, he brought forward the testimony of the Father.

Let us learn, then, beloved, to ask God for the things it is fitting to ask of him. Those other things — I mean the things that belong to this life — can do us no harm, whichever way they turn out. If we are rich, it is only here that we will enjoy our luxury; and if we fall into poverty, we will suffer nothing terrible. Neither the splendors nor the pains of the present life have much power to bring us either dejection or pleasure; they are contemptible, and slip away very quickly. That is why they are rightly called “a way”: because they pass by, and by their very nature do not last long. But the things to come endure forever, both those of punishment and those of the kingdom. So let us take great care about these, to avoid the first and to choose the last. [i]

What is the advantage of this world’s luxury? Today it is, and tomorrow it is not; today a bright flower, tomorrow scattered dust; today a burning fire, tomorrow smoldering ashes. But spiritual things are not like that. They remain always shining and blooming, and grow brighter every day. That wealth never perishes, never departs, never comes to an end. It never brings care or envy or blame with it; it does not ruin the body or corrupt the soul; it stirs no ill will and piles up no malice — and all these things go along with the other kind of wealth. That honor does not lift people into folly or puff them up; it never ends and never fades. Again, the rest and delight of heaven last forever, always unshaken and undying; no one can find their end or limit.

Let us desire this life, then. If we do, we will make no account of present things, but will despise them all and laugh at them. Even if someone were to invite us into the royal palace, we would not choose to go in while we hold this hope — and yet nothing on earth seems closer to happiness than such an invitation. But to those who are gripped by love for heaven, even this seems small and mean, not worth considering. Nothing that comes to an end is greatly to be desired. Whatever ceases, whatever is today and tomorrow is not, seems very small and contemptible, even if it is very great. So let us not cling to fleeting things that slip away and depart, but to those that endure and cannot be shaken. May we all attain them, through the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.