22 On the next day the crowd that 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. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 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. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Have you ever eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant? If not, you should give it a try. Did you know that there are more Lutherans in Ethiopia than in North America? Since the middle of the 20th century there has been explosive growth in the Lutheran movement among the Amharic and Oromo peoples of Ethiopia. Ethiopian food may be more Lutheran than the green Jell-O salad and that tater tot and green bean casserole which shows up at every midwestern Lutheran potluck. If you go, however, be ready not to use silverware. Ethiopia is an ancient place, steeped in history. Forks are a relatively recent invention. The first recorded use of a fork was at a meal in 1518 in Vienna. Martin Luther probably never used one. People in Ethiopia tear off a small piece of flat bread and use that to scoop up the vegetable, meat, or other parts of their meal. In truth, most Ethiopian restaurants I have visited have accommodated their American guests and provide you with fork and spoon, but you will also receive a large piece of spongy, flat bread which is the traditional way to eat Ethiopian food.
This use of bread as a utensil is critical to what Jesus tells us today. He is the bread of life. In Jesus’ part of the world, just like in Ethiopia today, bread was not just the carbohydrate part of the meal, it was how all food came into your mouth. In effect, Jesus is saying he is the spoon and fork which conveys the food to you. Without the bread in Ethiopia, you do not eat anything. Without Jesus, you have no sustenance. This is a big claim for him to make. He is saying that without him, you have no life at all. God can surround you with love, life, health, etc., but without Jesus to bring it to you, you would be famished. He is that which brings the freely given life itself to you. Many of the Ethiopians who have emigrated to the Unites States are Christians. When you go to that Ethiopian restaurant, ask the proprietor to explain this saying of Jesus to you. See if his or her face does not light up.