Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jn. 6:1. After this, Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, in the vicinity of Tiberias.
The Lord, after a stern speech to the Jews which aroused envy and anger in them, calms them by withdrawing from them and goes to the other side of the Sea of Tiberias. He calls the lake a sea because Divine Scripture "called the gatherings of waters seas" (Gen. 1:10).

Jn. 6:2. A great multitude followed Him, because they saw the miracles which He performed on the sick.
Otherwise: He moves from place to place in order to test the disposition of the people. For while the negligent remained in their place, the more zealous followed after Him.
However, look, even those who followed, followed not because of the teaching, but because of the bodily benefit from the miracles, "because they," he says, "were astonished at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority" (Matt. 7:28, 29).

Jn. 6:3. Jesus went up on the mountain and sat there with His disciples.
He goes up "onto the mountain" because, he says, "they saw the miracles which He performed on the sick." The followers mentioned in Matthew are better and more philosophical, "because they," he says, "were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority" (Matt. 7:28, 29).
He goes up "onto the mountain" because He was about to perform a miracle. For He did not love honor and glory, so as to perform miracles in the midst of cities, but, avoiding the vain glory of men, He seeks solitude, teaching us to do the same.
He ascends "the mountain" also because He wishes to communicate something mysterious to the disciples. For He customarily always did so. Because one who is about to deliver such a discourse needs to be free from every disturbance, and the place needs to be free from every noise.

Jn. 6:4. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
"The Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near," he says. And yet He does not go to it, but withdraws into Galilee, because He was no longer subject to the ordinances of the law, so as to observe the legal feasts.
And in another sense: since the malice of the Jews was pursuing Him, He, having found occasions, little by little weakens the law; the type has ceased.
Note this also: "a feast of the Jews." It was not a feast of Christ, since Christ did not go to it, but only the Jews alone.

Jn. 6:5. Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a great multitude was coming to Him,
Why is it said "Jesus, lifting up His eyes"? So that we may know that His eyes were not wandering here and there, but He was sitting with awareness and attention and concentration, conversing with the disciples about divine matters, and finally looked up with His eyes and asked about the crowd, with what they might feed it.

Jn. 6:5. He says to Philip: where shall we buy bread, that we may feed them?
He asks not anyone else, but Philip. For he required more instruction, since he later says: "Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us" (John 14:8). Therefore, He prepares him long in advance and by His question prompts him to always remember this miracle. For if the miracle had been performed without preamble, it would not have appeared so great a miracle. But now He first compels him to declare the lack of bread, so that he might better understand the greatness of the miracle about to be performed and could no longer forget what he had said. Therefore He says: "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"

Jn. 6:6. He said this, testing him; for He Himself knew what He wanted to do.
He says this testing Philip, that is, wishing to reveal what faith he has. Without doubt, He asks Philip not because He Himself does not know his thoughts, but because He wishes to reveal them before the others. "For the Lord Himself knew what He was going to do."

Jn. 6:7. Philip answered Him: two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each of them may receive even a little.

Jn. 6:8. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, says to Him:

Jn. 6:9. There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but what are they among so many?
Having tested Philip as to whether he had faith, and having discovered that he was not yet free from human weakness, He finds Andrew to be the same, although his understanding was somewhat higher than Philip's. Philip said that "two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough." Andrew points to "five barley loaves and two fish," perhaps having recalled the miracles of the prophets, such as when Elisha performed a miracle with loaves when Samaria had reached the point of utter destruction (2 Kings 4:42–44). However, it turns out that Andrew also had a thought that was in no way worthy of the Lord. He says, "but what is this for so great a multitude?" He thought that the Lord would perhaps multiply these loaves, but that if there had been more of them, the multiplication would have been greater. Clearly, his thinking was not correct, for the Lord could have created loaves out of nothing in a number sufficient for the people.
However, lest anyone think that creation is alien to His wisdom, He uses creation itself as an instrument for performing miracles, and taking the loaves as a kind of material occasion, He thus manifests the miracle.
Let the Manichaeans be put to shame, who say that bread and all created things are the product of an evil god, and therefore, if someone offers them bread, they do not take it from his hands but order him to throw it from afar, while they themselves stand and curse the one who offered it: "May he who sowed you (bread) himself be scattered! May he who ground you himself be ground in body!" and other such things. Let them be put to shame, then, when they hear that Christ, the Son of the Good God, multiplied the loaves. For if they were an evil creation, the Good One would not have multiplied evil, not to mention that He Himself would not have eaten bread.
Perhaps someone will ask: "Is this miracle of the loaves one and the same as the miracle described in the Gospel of Matthew?" (Matt. 14:15–21) It is one and the same. If there the disciples approach and remind Him about the crowd, that He should dismiss them, while here Jesus Himself asks how to feed the crowd, one should not be surprised at this. For probably both things happened: first the disciples reminded the Lord about dismissing the crowd, and then the Lord asked Philip how to feed them.

Jn. 6:10. Jesus said: Have them recline.
He commands them to recline at once, as though the table were already prepared. The disciples did not believe before, yet now they readily arrange the people to recline.

Jn. 6:10. There was much grass in that place.
There was "grass," indicating it was springtime. "For it was," he says, "Passover"; and it was celebrated in the first month of spring.

Jn. 6:10. So about five thousand men sat down.
The Evangelist counts only the men. He follows in this the lawful custom. For Moses also numbered the people from twenty years old and upward, but did not mention a single woman (Num. 26). By this, Scripture shows that everything manly and youthful is valued and worthy of being counted by God.

Jn. 6:11. Jesus, having taken the loaves and given thanks, distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, and likewise the fish, as much as each one wanted.
Having taken the loaves, He gives thanks. By this He shows that before partaking of food one ought to give thanks to God. And since the crowd was there, He gives thanks in the presence of the crowd also so that all might know that He came by the will of God, that He is not an opponent of God, but refers all things to the Father. When He works signs in private, He does nothing of the sort, even though He performs a greater miracle. But when He works wonders before the face of many, then He lifts His eyes to God. And that He does this not out of weakness, but with the intention we have stated, is evident from the fact that He performs greater miracles with sovereign authority and absolute power.
According to some, He gives thanks in order to hide from the prince of this world until the time of His suffering, so that the latter would not regard Him as God by this action, but would be deceived and deluded, and thus would be put to death by the cross.

Jn. 6:12. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples: Gather up the remaining fragments, that nothing be lost.
The Lord allows a surplus to remain from the loaves not to make a display of Himself, no, but so that the feeding of the men would not be taken as an illusion, and all would see clearly that they were truly satisfied, so much so that a great deal was left over. For the same reason He also commands that the fragments be gathered, so that seeing them, they would better remember the miracle that was performed.

Jn. 6:13. And they gathered, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves, left over from those who had eaten.
One must marvel not only at the fact that there was a remainder, but also at the number of the remainder. He arranged it so that the baskets of leftovers were neither more nor less, but equal to the number of the disciples, so that all would carry them, and Judas would not be left without a share, but would have in this miracle as well an indication that his Teacher is God, and from this would have derived benefit; although, because of his malice, this turned into greater condemnation for him, since he betrayed the One Who made so much remain that even he had a basket.
Not without purpose did He command the apostles to carry the baskets, but so that they, as future teachers of the universe, would always remember the miracle. For the people did not expect to receive any important benefit, and immediately forgot about the miracle — so foolish they were! But the disciples were to receive a benefit, and not merely an incidental one.
From this incident we learn not to lose heart in the straits of poverty, not to shrink from hospitality and the giving of alms, but to believe that even if we have but one loaf, He who from five loaves produced such an abundance of leftovers will multiply it.
In the allegorical sense: when the Lord departed from Jerusalem, according to what is said by the prophets, "I have forsaken My house; I have left My heritage" (Jer. 12:7), then He goes away to Galilee of the Gentiles and receives the Gentiles, and much people follows Him. He ascends "the mountain," either onto the cross, in order to draw all to Himself, or into heaven, to the honor and glory befitting God. For since we, after His ascension into heaven, glorify Him as God and not as a mere man, it is said that He went up onto the mountain. By the mountain is signified the lofty thought concerning Him.
He gives us, who are subject to the five senses, five rational loaves, for to each sense He gives a fitting loaf or teaching, as Paul also says: "in the church I would rather speak five words" (1 Cor. 14:19), that is, words serving to correct the five senses. Yet we cannot eat all these five words, but a remainder is left over. For none of us can contain the entire mystical teaching. That which is incomprehensible and indigestible for us, who are dull, the apostles contain in their righteous souls, as if in certain baskets. Baskets are made from palm branches, and the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree (Ps. 91:13).

Jn. 6:14. Then the people, having seen the miracle that Jesus performed, said: This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.
Look how the people love their belly. While Jesus performed countless and most astonishing miracles, they were not amazed. But because of food they say, "This is that Prophet." They no longer accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath, they no longer seek revenge for violating the law, but because of the loaves they consider Him so great that they not only call Him a prophet, but also deem Him worthy of kingship.

Jn. 6:15. When Jesus perceived that they intended to come and seize Him by surprise and make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain alone.
But He withdraws, teaching us to despise worldly honors. He withdraws to the mountain alone, not taking any of the disciples with Him, in order to test their love, depending on whether they would endure His absence.

Jn. 6:16. And when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea

Jn. 6:17. And entering into the boat, they went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.
The Lord withdrew to the mountain alone only in order, as we have said, to test the love of the disciples—whether they would seek Him. They waited for Him until evening, thinking that He would come. But when He did not come, they could not hold themselves back, but, compelled by love to seek Him, they got into the boat. For the evangelist did not indicate the time simply or as if by chance, but in order to show their intense love in the fact that not even the evening stopped them.

Jn. 6:18. A strong wind was blowing, and the sea was becoming rough.
He permits them to experience the storm so that, when calm comes after the storm, they might rejoice all the more at what has happened, and so that an indelible remembrance of this might be imprinted upon their hearts.

Jn. 6:19. Having rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat, and they were afraid.
The Jews crossed the Red Sea under the leadership of Moses, but he did everything as a servant and by the power of prayer, whereas This One acts with perfect authority. There the water parted from a strong south wind raised by the Lord, so that they crossed on dry land (Ex. 14:21, 22); but here a greater miracle was accomplished: the sea remained in its own nature, and yet bore the Lord upon its surface, so that the prophetic word might be fulfilled: "He walks on the sea as on the ground" (Job 9:8).

Jn. 6:20. But He said to them: It is I; do not be afraid.
When they were in danger, He appears before them and by His word drives away their fear, and produces calm upon the sea, and thus creates a twofold calm—He quiets the disturbance in their souls and the tumult on the sea.
And now many of us find ourselves in mental darkness and in danger of drowning in the mental sea. But let us receive Christ to ourselves, and we shall be completely delivered from misfortunes. And if certain tempters of ours, whether demons or people, often bring fear upon us and try to shake us through fear, let us listen to Christ, Who cries out: "It is I; do not be afraid." His words have this meaning: fears pass away; therefore do not be afraid of what passes away. But "I am," that is, I always abide; and, as God, I am He Who Is (the One Who Is). Therefore, since fears are temporary and do not have true being, but I am, that is, I abide and never cease to be, but truly am, do not change your faith in Me because of what is temporary.
See, if you will, how Christ appears and destroys fear not at the beginning of danger, but at its extremity. He permits us to find ourselves in the midst of dangers, so that having struggled with affliction and been pressed hard by it, we might become more receptive, and having employed all our own strength and wisdom but found it weak, we might take refuge in Him alone, who is able to save in unexpected ways. For when the human mind is exhausted, then suddenly salvation from God appears and impels us to strive toward Him, the only Savior, and not to ascribe our salvation to ourselves.

Jn. 6:21. They wanted to receive Him into the boat; and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
He did not enter the boat in order to perform a greater miracle. Look, three miracles: one, that He walked on the sea; another, that He calmed the waves; the third, that the boat suddenly reached the shore to which they were sailing, even though it was still far from that shore when the Lord came to it.
If we desire to receive Christ into our boat as well, that is, to settle Christ in our heart, then we will immediately find ourselves on that land toward which we are sailing. What kind of land is this? Without a doubt, it is the promised land, heaven, the land of the meek and of those who have been pacified from all malice.

Jn. 6:22. On the next day the crowd, standing on the other side of the sea, saw that there was no other boat there except the one into which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone.
Jesus crossed to the other side of the sea on foot. The crowd, seeking Him the next day and seeing that there had been only one boat, into which the disciples had gotten but into which Jesus had not entered with them, came to the realization of this miracle and supposed that Jesus had crossed the sea on foot to the other side. For if there had been another boat, it would have been natural to suppose that He, not having sailed with the disciples, had gotten into it and crossed over. But now, since there was only one boat and the disciples alone had entered it, while the Lord had not entered, the miracle is obvious.

Jn. 6:23. Meanwhile, other boats came from Tiberias near to the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord's blessing.

Jn. 6:24. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
The people, having come to this conclusion and having found other boats that had arrived from the other side, got into them and crossed over to Capernaum.

Jn. 6:25. And having found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him: Rabbi! When did You come here?
Having found the Lord here, the crowd does not fall down before Him, does not wish to learn how He came, does not ask about this miracle, but so carelessly says: "When did You come here?"
Those who had wanted to take Him by surprise and make Him king, when they found Him, no longer desired anything of the sort. They paid no attention to the miracle, but wished to be fed once more, just as before.

Jn. 6:26. Jesus answered them and said: Truly, truly, I say to you: you seek Me not because you saw miracles, but because you ate the bread and were filled.
Therefore the Lord also reproaches them. "You," He says, "seek Me because you ate bread, and then you cling to Me so that I might feed you again." Notice: although He exposes them, nevertheless He does not employ a harsh rebuke. He did not say "you are gluttons and voracious," but spoke gently. For He rebukes them with the desire to correct them and through the revelation of the secrets of their hearts to lead them to greater faith. That the purpose of His rebuke was correction is evident from what follows. For He imparts to them the most salvific teaching and says:

Jn. 6:27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.
"You," He says, "seek Me because of the loaves, desiring to be filled with them. But you ought not to be wholly occupied with the belly, but should rather be concerned with spiritual things, and not devote all your care to bodily food." For this is what He called perishable food.
Since many of those who wish to live in idleness, and especially the Messalians, use these words in defense of their idleness, it is necessary to clarify this saying. Our Lord Jesus Christ said this not because He wished to cut short bodily activity and dispose people to idleness, "for idleness has taught much evil" (Sir. 33:28). And if one must speak more precisely, it is precisely the desire to live in idleness that is the perishing food. But the follower of Christ must labor, so that he may also share with others. For the future kingdom is promised as a reward for this.
"How is it," they will say, "that the Lord said one should not labor for perishable food?" He said this in order to cut short their excessive concern about foods and redirect it toward spiritual matters. Granted, they will say; but that Christ uproots bodily activity is evident from His words to Martha: "Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed"; "Mary has chosen the good part" (Luke 10:41, 42), and from the words: "do not worry about tomorrow" (Matt. 6:34). So reason those who wish to be idle. What then shall we say? That what was said to Martha was said neither about work, nor about activity, nor about idleness, but about the need to know the proper time and not to spend the time for listening on concern about foods. He said this with the aim of teaching her that the time of instruction should not be wasted on occupation with matters pertaining to the belly. And when He says "do not worry," He does not reject activity, for worry is one thing and activity is another. It happens that a person does something yet is not at all anxious about it. Thus the Lord, teaching us not to be nailed down to worldly things, not to worry about rest for tomorrow, but rather desiring that we labor daily, says: do not worry about how, having labored today, you might be at ease tomorrow, but, acquiring food each day through daily labor, do not worry about tomorrow.
He calls the "enduring food" the mystical communion of the Lord's Flesh, which He Himself gives to us, having become the Son of Man, upon whom the Father "set His seal," that is, showed and confirmed that He is His Son. Although Christ Himself also confirmed His dignity by miracles, since He is speaking to the Jews so that they would not be provoked, He refers to the Father and says that He has been sealed by Him, that is, proven and attested. Since the Son is the image of the Father, and the seal, and the reflection, He has been sealed by the Father, inasmuch as He is His image and seal. Therefore these words have the following meaning: This One, who in appearance is the Son of Man, the Father has sealed, that is, begotten as His seal and image, preserving perfect immutability and natural identity with Him.

Jn. 6:28. So they said to Him: what must we do, that we may work the works of God?
The Jews want to learn about the work of God not in order to perform it, but in order to obtain an occasion for talk.

Jn. 6:29. Jesus answered and said to them: this is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.
Therefore, although He knows that they will receive no benefit, nevertheless, for the general benefit of teaching, He gives an answer and shows them, as well as all people, that the work of God consists in believing "in Him whom He has sent." Faith in Him is a work truly sacred, and perfect, and sanctifying those who possess it; for a well-grounded faith guides one to every good work, and good activity preserves faith; and as works without faith are dead, "so also faith without works is dead" (James 2:17, 26).

Jn. 6:30. To this they said to Him: what sign then do You give, that we may see and believe You? What do You do?
See what ingratitude and insensibility. After having seen so many and such great miracles, they again ask for a sign, and one even greater than the loaves with which they were fed. As gluttons, they again demand such a miracle as would serve their belly. The justice of this is evident from what follows.

Jn. 6:31. Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written: "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
Not in vain did we say that they ask for a sign as slaves of the belly. Such was the miracle of the loaves. Here they remember the manna (Ps. 78:24), and not some other miracle, whether performed against the Egyptians or at the Red Sea. Wishing to provoke Him to perform such a miracle as could feed their flesh, they bring up the manna out of extreme gluttony.

Jn. 6:32. Jesus then said to them: Truly, truly, I say to you: it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

Jn. 6:33. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
What then does the untried Wisdom of God, our Lord Jesus, answer them? "Moses did not give you this bread," that is, Moses did not give you the true bread, but all that happened then served as an image of what is accomplished now. Thus, Moses represented an image of God, the true Leader of the spiritual Israelites, and that bread prefigured Me, Who came down from heaven, Who truly nourishes and truly exists. He calls Himself the true bread not because the manna was false, but because it was an image and a shadow, and not the truth itself. For the Only-begotten Son of God, having become Man, is in the proper sense "Manna," an astonishing word and hearing. Manna means: "What is this?" For the Hebrews, each one having seen it fallen in abundance around his tent, struck by the extraordinariness and strangeness of the sight, asked one another: what is this? And the Lord, the Son of God, having become Man, is Himself the Manna that astonishes all, so that each one says in bewilderment: what is This? How is He both the Son of God and the Son of Man? How from two opposite natures is there one Person? What is this Mystery?
So this Bread, being Life by nature, as the Son of the living Father, does what is proper to Him: He gives life to all things. Just as earthly bread sustains the weak nature of the flesh and does not allow it to decompose, so also Christ by the operation of the Spirit gives life to the soul, and indeed sustains even the body itself in incorruption. For through Christ the resurrection from the dead and the incorruption of bodies have been granted to human nature.

Jn. 6:34. On this they said to Him: Lord! give us this bread always.
But the Jews, still occupied with the belly and being entirely earthly, understand these words concerning sensible bread and say: "Give us such bread." Raving in this manner, they exposed themselves. "Always," they say, "give us such bread, not for one day, not for two." They said this also out of love of money. So that we need not spend our own money on acquiring food, always give us this easily obtained bread.

Jn. 6:35. And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
Since the Jews, being earthly-minded, think that the Lord is speaking of material bread, and therefore insistently ask for it, the Lord, reproving them and showing that they sought Him only as long as they expected material food, but when they learn that it is spiritual, they will no longer come running, says: "I am the bread of life." He did not say "the bread of food," but "of life."
Since all things had been put to death, He gave us life by Himself. He is Bread, inasmuch as we believe that the leaven of human mixture was baked by the fire of the Godhead. Bread of "life" — not ordinary, common life, but a special life that is not cut short by death. He who believes in such Bread will not hunger, will not endure a famine of hearing the word of God, and will not have a rational thirst, which comes from the lack of the water of baptism and the sanctification of the Spirit. For the unbaptized has thirst and great dryness, not partaking in the holy water that regenerates the soul, while the baptized, having the Spirit, is always given life by Him.

Jn. 6:36. But I said to you that you have both seen Me and do not believe.

Jn. 6:37. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me;
Showing that faith in Him is not a matter of chance, but a gift of God, given by the Father to those who are worthy and noble of heart, He says: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me," that is, those will believe in Me whom the Father gives Me. But you—the Jews—as unworthy, are not given to Me by the Father, and therefore you do not come to Me. For you do not have an upright heart, so that God the Father, having loved you, might lead you to faith in Me.

Jn. 6:37. And him who comes to Me I will not cast out,
And I "will not cast out the one who comes to Me," that is, I will not destroy him, but will save him and bestow upon him much delight.

Jn. 6:38. For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me.
For I came down from heaven not to do anything other than the will of the Father. He says this so that they would know that the one who does not accept Him is opposed to God, as one who resists the will of the Father. Since they called Him an opponent of God, He turns this accusation back on them and says, though not openly: by not accepting the One who follows the will of the Father, you make yourselves opponents of God.
Where is Nestorius here, who says that Christ was deified after the resurrection? Do you not hear, wretch, that He came down from heaven? And He who came down from heaven was evidently not a mere man, but God. For a mere man does not descend, but sometimes ascends to heaven, when God grants him this for his virtue. Since the Lord's descent preceded the resurrection, He Himself both came down from heaven as God, having descended for the incarnation, and ascended to heaven with flesh as man, where He was before as God. Therefore, Christ is not a mere man who was subsequently deified, as Nestorius babbled, but the pre-eternal God, who became incarnate in the last times.

Jn. 6:39. And the will of the Father who sent Me is this: that of all that He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it all up at the last day.
He constantly says "The Father has given Me" in order to strike their hearts and so that they would know that they are unworthy of this gift of God. For if the Father gives faith in Christ as something great, and they do not have it, then obviously they have been deprived of the gift of God.

Jn. 6:40. The will of Him who sent Me is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.
"So I," He says, "will not destroy those whom the Father gives Me, that is, those who believe in Me, but will raise them up, that is, will deem them worthy of a glorious resurrection." The resurrection is of two kinds: one is general and universal, by which all sinners also will be raised, and the other is that by which only the righteous will be raised, being caught up on clouds through the air to meet the Lord and encountering the Lord with boldness.
This last resurrection Paul calls an exaltation because of the lifting up from the earth. For sinners, although they will rise from their graves, will not be lifted up from the earth into the air, but will remain below, as those condemned. Therefore the righteous will both rise and be lifted up, caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17), while sinners will only rise.
The Lord, explaining the meaning of the words "I will lose nothing of all that the Father has given Me," expresses the same thought in other words: "that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life." For He says nothing other than what He said above. The words "all that the Father has given Me" are identical to the words "everyone who sees the Son and believes," and the word "I will not lose" is identical to the words "has eternal life."
He frequently mentions the resurrection so that people would not limit God's Providence to the visible order of things alone, but would know that there is also another state in which they will undoubtedly receive rewards for virtue, and would not abandon the pursuit of virtue because recompense is not apparent in the present life.

Jn. 6:41. The Jews then murmured against Him, because He said: I am the bread which came down from heaven.
When the Lord said, "I am the bread," the Jews murmured against Him, because they were deceived. For as long as they thought He was speaking of sensible bread, they behaved meekly, hoping that He would give them this bread and satisfy their belly. But when He revealed to them that His speech was not about sensible bread, but about spiritual bread, they murmur in despair. For how could they think of spiritual food, life, and resurrection? They were offended at Him, seeing on the one hand His Mother, and on the other hand hearing "I came down from heaven."

Jn. 6:42. And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, Whose father and Mother we know? How is it then that He says: I came down from heaven?
Looking at what was visible and not understanding that He is also God, they murmured as though the Lord were deceiving them, and said, "Is not this the son of Joseph?" But the Savior Himself does not answer them, "I am not the son of Joseph," for they could not comprehend the ineffable birth from the Virgin. And if their mind could not grasp the birth according to the flesh, still less could it grasp the pre-eternal birth from the Father.

Jn. 6:43. Jesus answered and said to them: Do not murmur among yourselves.

Jn. 6:44. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
What then does He answer them? "No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him." He says this not to destroy free will, but to show that the one who is to believe needs much assistance from God.
Otherwise: The Father draws those who have the capacity according to their free will, but does not draw to faith those who have made themselves incapable. For just as a magnet does not attract everything it approaches, but only iron, so too God approaches all, but attracts only those who are capable and show a certain kinship with Him. The Father draws and leads to the Son; and the Son raises and gives life, granting the breath of goodness and the life which is the Holy Spirit. Thus, the entire Holy Trinity bestows blessings upon believers, and not individually the Father alone or the Son alone, but as the Nature is one, so also the act of beneficence is one: the Father leads, the Son gives life, and the Holy Spirit serves as the breath for those given life; for every living being also has breath.

Jn. 6:44. And I will raise him up on the last day.
See what authority the Son has. "I," He says, "will raise it up." He did not say "My Father will raise it up," but "I." For He does not always speak of Himself in a lowly manner, but sometimes also reveals the loftiness of His Divinity.

Jn. 6:45. In the prophets it is written: "And they shall all be taught by God."
Above He said that whoever the Father draws comes to Me. Wishing to confirm this, He refers to the prophets. "It is written in the prophets," He says, "and they shall all be taught by God" (Isa. 54:13); all, of course, meaning those who are willing.

Jn. 6:45. Everyone who has heard from the Father and has learned comes to Me.
The Father is the common Teacher, through revelation making His Son known to those who are worthy. For, touching the hearts of the simple and guileless, He reveals the Son to them, just as He also revealed Him to Peter (Matt. 16:17). Therefore, he who hears from the Father, that is, he who receives the revelation of the Father and becomes His true disciple, comes to Me. See with what precision He speaks about everything. He did not say that he who hears from the Father comes to Me, but added further "and who has learned." For it is not enough to hear; one must also remain and learn.
What then? Were they not taught by God before this in the Old Testament? They were, but not in the same way. For here, that is in the New Testament, there is a distinction. Then they learned the knowledge of God through men, but now, when the Only-Begotten became incarnate, knowledge comes from the Father Himself in the Holy Spirit, so that the prophetic word is fulfilled: "In Your light, O Father, that is in the Spirit, we shall see Light, which is the Son" (Ps. 35:10).

Jn. 6:46. This is not that anyone has seen the Father, except He Who is from God; He has seen the Father.

Jn. 6:47. Truly, truly, I say to you: he who believes in Me has eternal life.
Truly, all of us who have accepted faith in Christ are now taught by God. Since He said that the one who has heard from the Father comes to Me, lest anyone think that He speaks of a sensible Father, He adds: "I do not say that anyone sees the Father except the Son, who truly is from Him and born of His Essence. For we are all from God, but properly the Son is the one alone Who also knows the Father."

Jn. 6:48. I am the bread of life.

Jn. 6:49. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and died;
He compares the food He gives them with manna. "I," He says, "am the bread of life, but those who ate manna died." He did not simply add the words "in the wilderness," but with the purpose of showing that the manna did not last long for the fathers — only in the wilderness — and it did not enter the promised land with them.

Jn. 6:50. But the bread which comes down from heaven is such that he who eats of it shall not die.
This bread, however, is not such, but abides forever, so that they, if they wish, will receive blessings far greater than their fathers. How is that which is granted by Christ not greater? For although everyone will taste death, yet he is alive by the hope of the resurrection.

Jn. 6:51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is My Flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
He speaks here clearly about the mystical communion of His body. "The bread," He says, "which I shall give is My Flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." Showing His authority, that He was crucified not as a servant and one lesser than the Father, but by His own will, He says that "I shall give" My Flesh for the life of the world. Although it is said that He was given by the Father (John 3:16), He also gave Himself: the first, so that we might know His unity of mind with the Father, and the second, so that we might know the sovereign freedom of the Son.
Note that the bread partaken by us in the Sacrament is not an image of the Lord's body, but is the very Flesh of the Lord. For He did not say that the bread which I shall give is an image of My Flesh, but — "is My Flesh." For this bread, by ineffable words, through the mystical blessing and the descent of the Holy Spirit, is transformed into the Flesh of the Lord. Let no one be afraid to believe that the bread becomes Flesh. For when the Lord walked in the flesh and received nourishment from bread, that bread, when eaten, was converted into His body and was made like unto His holy Flesh, and, according to the custom of human nature, served for growth and strengthening. And now this bread is converted into the Flesh of the Lord. But how, they will say to us, does it appear not as flesh but as bread? This is so that we might not have aversion to the food. For if flesh were shown to us, we would be unpleasantly disposed toward Communion; but now, when the Lord condescends to our weakness, the mystical Food appears to us in the form that is ordinary for us.
He gave His Flesh to death for the life of the world, for by His death He destroyed death. Understand, if you will, the life of the world as also the resurrection. For the death of the Lord brought about the universal resurrection for the entire human race. Perhaps by the life of the world He also means the life in holiness and blessedness. For although not all received illumination and life in the Spirit, the Lord gave Himself for the world, and as far as it concerns Him, the world is saved and all nature is sanctified, inasmuch as it received the power to conquer sin, and sin fled through one Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, just as through one Adam humanity fell into sin.

Jn. 6:52. Then the Jews began to argue among themselves, saying: How can He give us His Flesh to eat?
The Jews, having heard about the eating of the Lord's Flesh, do not believe; therefore they also utter the word of unbelief, "how?" For when thoughts of unbelief enter the soul, then the word "how?" also enters along with them.

Jn. 6:53. And Jesus said to them: Truly, truly, I say to you: unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in yourselves.

Jn. 6:54. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Therefore He also, wishing to show that this is not impossible, but even very necessary, and that one cannot otherwise have life, says: "unless you eat the Flesh," and so forth. So too Nicodemus spoke from unbelief: "How can a man enter into his mother's womb?" (John 3:4) Therefore when we hear that without partaking of the Flesh of the Son we cannot have life, we must have undoubting faith when receiving the Divine Mysteries, and not ask "how?" For "the natural man," that is, one who follows human, natural, or psychical reasoning, "does not receive" what is supernatural and spiritual (1 Cor. 2:14). So too he does not comprehend the spiritual food, the Flesh of the Lord. Meanwhile, those who do not partake of it will have no share in eternal life, as not having received Jesus, Who is the true Life. For what is eaten is the Flesh not of a mere man, but of God, and able to deify as being united with the Godhead.

Jn. 6:55. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink.
It is truly food, inasmuch as it satisfies not for a short time, nor does it spoil like perishable food, but contributes to eternal life. In like manner, the drinking of the Lord's Blood is truly drink, because it quenches thirst not for a time, but preserves the one who drinks from thirst and want forever, as the Lord also said to the Samaritan woman: "whoever drinks the water that I shall give will never thirst" (Jn. 4:14). For whoever through partaking of the Divine Mysteries receives the grace of the Holy Spirit will not, like unbelievers, experience either hunger of the mind or thirst.

Jn. 6:56. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Here we learn the mystery of Communion. He who eats and drinks the Flesh and Blood of the Lord abides in the Lord Himself, and the Lord in him. A strange and incomprehensible union takes place, so that God abides in us and we in God. You do not hear a fearsome teaching. We do not partake of God Himself, for He is intangible and incorporeal, and cannot be grasped either by eyes or by teeth; nor again do we partake of the Flesh of a mere man, for it can bring no benefit. But since God by an ineffable commingling united Flesh with Himself, the Flesh also gives life — not because it has changed into the Divine Nature, no, but after the likeness of iron heated in fire, which remains iron yet manifests the power of fire. So too the Flesh of the Lord, while remaining Flesh, gives life as the Flesh of God the Word.

Jn. 6:57. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will also live because of Me.
As I, He says, live by the Father (that is, because I was born from the Father, Who is Life), so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me, having been united with and as it were transformed into Me, Who am able to give life. But when you hear that "I live," do not think that He lives by participation in life. Otherwise an animal would be called God. But no! For neither is an animal called God, nor is a created thing called Life.

Jn. 6:58. This is the bread which came down from heaven. Not as your fathers ate manna and died:
He frequently repeats the words "your fathers ate manna in the wilderness" in order to convince His listeners that if it was possible for people to be nourished without harvest or sowing for forty years and their life was sustained, how much more will the Lord now strengthen our rational life with a better bread, His own Flesh, formed from the earth – the Virgin, without sowing – of a man.

Jn. 6:58. He who eats this bread shall live forever.
He everywhere mentions life and frequently brings up this name, because nothing is so pleasant to people as life.
However, you can eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Master not only in the Mystical Communion, but also in another way. He who walks the path of active life eats the Flesh. For flesh is hard to digest, just as the active life is full of toil. He who contemplates drinks the Blood as wine that gladdens the heart. For contemplation is not bound up with toil; it is even a rest from toils, and is like drinking, just as drinking is easier than eating.

Jn. 6:59. He said these things in the synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.
Why did He teach in the synagogue? Partly in order to attract more people, partly in order to show that He is not an opponent of the law read in the synagogues.

Jn. 6:60. Many of His disciples, hearing this, said: what strange words! Who can listen to this?
Why then did He deliver such speeches before the people, when He knew that no one would benefit from them, and many would even be scandalized? For His disciples, having heard them, said: "These words are strange; who can listen to this?"
What is the benefit of these words? Very great and important. They constantly mentioned bodily food and pointed to the manna. Showing them that all this was figures and shadow, while what He now speaks is the truth. He says this and mentions spiritual food in order to persuade them to turn away somewhat from the sensible and leave the figures and shadow, and to hasten toward the truth. But they, being unable to understand anything supernatural, are not improved, but even turn away and say: "These words are strange, that is, harsh, hard to accept." For who, being carnal, can receive spiritual food — bread descending from heaven, flesh that is eaten?
When you hear that the disciples fell away from Him, do not understand this of the true disciples, but of those who followed Him in the rank of disciples and only in appearance showed that they were learning from Him. For even among the disciples there were some who, in comparison with the crowd, were called His disciples because they spent more time with Him than the crowd, but in comparison with His true disciples they were worth nothing, since they believed in Him only for a time and, so to speak, with a cold fervor. See what foolishness. They should have asked and learned what they did not know, but instead they fall away and understand nothing in the spiritual sense, but take everything outwardly. Hearing about flesh, they thought that He was compelling them to become flesh-eaters and blood-drinkers. But we, who understand this in the spiritual sense, are not only not flesh-eaters, but are even illumined by such food.

Jn. 6:61. But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: Does this offend you?
Wishing to show them that from Him as God the thoughts of their hearts are in no way hidden, He says: "Does this offend you?"

Jn. 6:62. What then, if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?
What then, if you see Me, in the appearance of the Son of Man, ascending into heaven, where I was before as God? For One and the Same ascends as Man to where He was before as God. He said this in order to draw them away from the opinion of Him as the son of Joseph. For whoever believed that He was formerly in heaven would undoubtedly also believe that He is the Son not of Joseph, but of God, and would ultimately believe His words as well.
Hearing that the Son of Man was formerly in heaven, do not think that the body descended from heaven (so the heresiarchs Marcellus and Apollinarius idly talk), but since one and the same was the Son of Man and God the Word, then, as we have said, it is said that He ascends as Man to where He was formerly as God.

Jn. 6:63. The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and life.
They understood Christ's words in a carnal manner, as we have often said, and were scandalized. Therefore He says that only the spiritual understanding of My words is profitable, while the flesh, that is, the carnal understanding of them, is not at all profitable, but becomes an occasion for scandal. Thus they were scandalized, understanding Christ's words carnally. He adds that the words which I speak are "spirit," that is, spiritual, "and life," having nothing carnal in them, but bestowing eternal life.

Jn. 6:64. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelieving were, and who would betray Him.
Manifesting a property of divinity, namely revealing what is hidden, He tells them that some of you do not believe; by saying "some," He excluded the disciples. And the evangelist, wishing to show us that He knew all things before the foundation of the world, says that Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelievers were, and knew also the malice of the betrayer. And this was proof of true Divinity. For the prophet says of God: "who knows all things before their coming to be" (Dan. 13:42).

Jn. 6:65. And He said: this is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is given to him by My Father.
We have often said that when you hear that the Father gives faith in the Son, do not think that the Father bestows grace on some and not on others, as if by lot, for this would be characteristic of one who is unjust. Rather, understand it this way: the Father bestows grace and gives the gift of faith to those who have the will for it. For he who has no will shall not benefit even from the help of God. Let me explain. God gives His gifts to all. Some receive them and make good use of what is given, and by preserving it, they display the gift of God. But others receive yet lose what was given, and turn out to have received nothing. So when the Evangelist says that he to whom it has not been given by the Father cannot come to the Son, his words mean that he comes to the Son to whom the Father gives and who preserves the gift bestowed on him by God.

Jn. 6:66. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.
"Many of the disciples went back"; that is, having separated from Him, they did not go toward something better, but returned back, that is, to unbelief. For truly, whoever separates from Christ goes back, while whoever, like Paul, "is joined unto the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:17), constantly "reaches forth" (Phil. 3:13).

Jn. 6:67. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Do you not also want to go away?
But He, showing that He has no need of anyone nor of any service or care from them, says to them: "Do you also want to go away?" Why, on the contrary, did He not praise the twelve disciples for not having departed along with the rest? On the one hand, to preserve the dignity of the Teacher, and on the other, to show us as well that in this way one can attract even more. For if He had praised them, they might perhaps have experienced something human and become proud, thinking that by following Him they were doing Him a favor. But by showing that He had no need of their following Him, He was better able to retain them as those who were more benefited than benefiting, and receiving grace rather than giving it.
Note how wisely He expressed Himself. He did not say "go away," for that would mean pushing them away, but He asks "do you not wish to go away?" In this way He grants complete freedom to follow or not, showing that He wants them to follow Him not out of shame before Him, but from the awareness that they will receive grace for following.

Jn. 6:68. Simon Peter answered Him: Lord! To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Jn. 6:69. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Peter, having a tender love for Him and for the brethren, answers on behalf of the entire company of the apostles. He did not say "Lord! to whom shall I go?" and "I have known and believed," but "to whom shall we go?" and so forth.
He says that the Lord has the words of eternal life, because he had heard Him say: "I will raise up the one who believes in Me, and he will have eternal life." For they had already accepted the truth of the resurrection and all the teaching. Therefore, the cause of the offense was not the words of Christ, but the inattentiveness, negligence, and ingratitude of the listeners. For these twelve also heard the same things, and yet were not offended, but remained faithful.

Jn. 6:70. Jesus answered them: Did I not choose twelve of you? Yet one of you is a devil.
What then does Christ say? Does He approve Peter, as He did on another occasion (Matt. 16:17)? Not at all, so as not to appear to be flattering him for having remained with Him. What then does He say to Peter? "I chose you twelve, yet not all of you are worthy of this choosing, but one of you is a devil." This can be understood in two ways: either he is a devil because even now he perverts everything of Mine and accepts nothing of it, or because he will slander Me. For such indeed Judas proved to be, slandering the Lord before the Jews and betraying His secrets to them, as David also says of him: "he went abroad and spoke together" — he went out and spoke in concert (Ps. 41:6). The Lord says this to Peter in order to correct him. Peter said: "we have come to know and have believed." But He says: "do not think so; you are not all faithful, nor have you all come to know Me."
Look, perhaps, how the Lord from afar forestalls the malice of the betrayer and, as if forcibly restraining it, says this, although He knows it will bring no benefit, yet He fulfills His own task. And He neither exposed him nor left it completely unknown; the first He did so that the betrayer, having lost all shame, would not become more obstinate; the other, so that he would not commit the bold deed without fear, and would not think that he would remain hidden. From this we also learn that God does not make people good by compulsion and force, and that God's election does not constrain our free will; and when someone is evil, He does not compel him to become good. God's election consists in this: that God predisposes us toward the good and grants us His grace. But to be saved and to act worthily of that election, or the opposite — this depends on our own mind and will.

Jn. 6:71. He said this about Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, for he was about to betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Consider also how fiercely the devil wages war. He was able to carry away one of the twelve apostles, who raised the dead, performed miracles, and heard the spiritual and life-giving teaching of the Lord. And where, then, is hope of salvation for us, when from our youth we have voluntarily enslaved ourselves to evil? Therefore the evangelist, as if in amazement, said: "being one of the twelve." "Although," he says, "he belonged to this holy company, yet by his evil will he proved unworthy of it." So easily is man inclined toward evil! Let the Manicheans not be deceived. We are not evil by nature. If that were the case, wickedness would constantly be at work in us. But Judas was not always evil; he was once even holy. Therefore evil both arises and grows from free will.