Monday
of the
Third
Week of Easter
April
27th
READING: John 6: 22-29
On the next day the people who remained on the
other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that
Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had
gone away alone. However, boats from Tiberias came near the place where
they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the people saw
that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats
and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea,
they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but
because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food which
perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man
will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” Then they
said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered
them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”[1]
REFLECTION
Believe. It’s a huge theme in John’s gospel-account. But what
is it? Or what does he mean by it?
Philosophers get very excited about this one. They refer to
it as the epistemological question. Epistemology: from the Greek for
“knowledge.” I am no philosopher: philosophy ends up in a basket in my mind,
alongside algebra (actually all maths and all sciences, and anything containing
numbers, really). I hear ““Kazi anayotaka Mungu muifanye ni hii: mumwamini yeye
aliyenituma,”[2]
I’m afraid. I feel for anyone who feels that way about biblical theology – I
really hope I can break it down a little better in these reflections.
Believe? I can only suggest it’s not the same as “know.”
While I love Handel’s Messiah I’m not even sure I can sing along to “I
know that my Redeemer Liveth” (well I can’t sing anyway but that’s another
story) if by “believe” we mean the same as “I know that water is wet.” But I do
believe, at least in the sense of this passage, and my fingers are not crossed
when I say the Creed.
Actually I think there’s a whole series of gradations of
belief. I believe that if I jump up I will come down again. I believe
Vladivostok is still there. I believe I went to Massey University. I believe my
ute runs on diesel. These all pan out different ways. If I put petrol in my ute
it’s going to cost me a lot of money to have it drained. If I put diesel in
Anne’s car it’ll cost me a lot more. There’s a kind of squiggly line continuum
from “know” to “hope” to “guess” to “meh.” And “believe” is there somewhere.
So what did John want us to do – what did Jesus, “behind”
John as it were – want us to do? Note that the little word “in” is there again
(in the Greek, too): Jesus as the “subject” or “focus” of our belief, but maybe
Jesus as the “presence” or “space” in whom we believe as well? Jesus by the
Spirit aiding our belief (remember Mark 9:24). Jesus calls this “work,”[3]
but I don’t think he means that if we screw up our minds really, really tight or
do the maths then we’ll get it. Perhaps then “believe” is closer to “trust,” or
perhaps it’s “trust” informed by another word John uses often, “dwell,”
“remain.” Perhaps it’s something like “take it on trust, and practice,
practice, practice, and it’ll keep surprising you with blinding, humbling
moments of ‘aha’.”
[1] Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE).
The Revised Standard
Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of
Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2]
Neno: Bibilia Takatifu (SNT)
Copyright © 1989 by Biblica.
[3] Ergos, from which we get
“ergonomics” and, for the rowers and/or gym junkies amongst you, “ergometer.”
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