Wednesday in the Third Week of Easter at Mississippi Abbey
Three of our Lord’s great sayings are strung together in today’s gospel.1
First, a saying of Christ about Himself. “I am the bread of life–he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes in me shall never thirst.” There’s a hunger, a desire in our hearts and affections that only Christ can fulfill. The devil, by contrast, is always empty, always hungry, always thirsty, always angry without any relief, without any end, unwilling to change.
Second, Christ says in today’s gospel, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” Even it our past sins may have been very great, when we come to Christ to be forgiven, he will receive us graciously, pardon us freely, place us in the number of His dear children, and give us everlasting life. By contrast, the devil will never come to Christ, will never love Jesus, and will never be loved by anyone.
Third, Christ asays, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.” And, what is eternal life? It is heaven, and heaven is sharing in God’s divine nature. The Father wants us to share in his divine happiness. By contrast, the devil wants us to share in his eternal demonic unhappiness, his torment forever.
So, St. Benedict writes in the Prologue of his Rule for Monasteries: “…while there is still time, while we are still in the body and are able to fulfill these things by the light of this life, we must hasten to do now what will profit us for eternity.”
- Expository Thoughts on John 6:35-40 by Pastor J.C. Ryle