Have you ever heard hungry babies crying? They do it with their whole heart. There’s no politeness about it; they don’t say, “If you don’t mind, I’d really like a bit of lunch here.” No, they give their crying everything they’ve got; and they count on their parents to answer them.
The people in today’s reading are hungry. They’ve followed Jesus across the lake because He has something they want, though they were not real clear on what it is. And Jesus doesn’t turn them away. He offers to give them what they really need—He offers them Himself. As He says, “The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Of course they want that! They say, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And we say that too, don’t we? We may be adults who’ve learned to say “please” and to wait for what we need, but deep down inside, when it comes to Jesus, we are still those hungry babies—crying out for the only One who can feed us, who can ease the ache in our hearts.
And that’s what Jesus does! He gives Himself freely to us. When we call, He answers—and He gives us Himself, through Baptism, through Communion, through the Bible. He doesn’t resent our crying. He encourages it. Jesus has come into this world to give us life through His own suffering, death, and resurrection; and now that we belong to Him and trust in Him, we will never go hungry again.
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, You feed Me when I’m hungry. Thank You, dear Lord.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. When you are really, really hungry, can you think about anything else?
2. When have you felt that hunger for God?
3. How does Jesus satisfy your deepest needs?