The Daily Office for January 31, 2012
Scriptures
Psalm 61
Genesis 21:1-21
Hebrews 11:13-22
John 6:41-51
Reading (John 6:41-51)
Reflection
In today's Gospel reading we find the Jewish leaders doing what people have always done when confronted with something they don't understand - they resorted to ridicule: “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” You can almost hear the sarcasm dripping from their words across the centuries. But Jesus is dismissive of their cynicism and soon returns to his message. In order for a person to come to and receive the Bread of Life, the Father must draw him. This verb (Gr helkuō) is also translated draw in the sense of “dragged." In other words, the Holy Spirit literally drags people to salvation.
Christ then describes this drawing process. It is accomplished through the Bible. When a person hears and learns, he or she comes to the Father. In essence, then, salvation is impossible apart from hearing the Word of God. It is through reading, teaching, and preaching that God draws people to Himself Isaiah 54:13. The learning does not mean complete knowledge of the Father, of course; this complete knowledge is only for the Son. Jesus then concludes His message by contrasting Himself to Moses’ manna and stating that true Bread will not let a person die. This bread, He says, is His flesh. He is clearly referring here to His vicarious death on the cross that will provide life for the world.
Collect for the Day
God our creator, who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness: we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, shine into the hearts of all your people, and reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.