Jn 6:44-51
Manna in the desert: The story of the wilderness episode in the life of the Israelites is not a nice one. Moses was leading God’s chosen people away from the slavery of Egypt passing through the pitfalls and myriad dangers of the desert and they were about to enter into the promised land of Canaan. But due to their cowardice, incredulity, and sheer disobedience, a generation of them who endured the various hardships were banned from entering the land they dreamed of. It is as if at the very last lap of their journey they failed a down-to-the-wire finish. It seems that the manna they ate in the desert led them to a pathetic ending of that episode of their life as a people.
Here, it seems that history is about to repeat itself. Jesus promises eternal life for all those who will believe in him as the one God sent to liberate his people. He is the true bread which God gives in order to sustain his new people on their new journey toward the new promised land, heaven. Eternal life is enticingly great but it also costs so much. Nothing less than sheer faith in Jesus as the Messiah is needed to attain it. Those who will reject Jesus, refuse to take him as the bread from heaven, will surely face the danger of eternal death. They will be banned from entering heaven, the only promised land there is.