I recently watched a short  interview of Dr. Harold Attridge, dean of the Yale Divinity School and professor emeritus David Bartlett who focused on the Book of John’s telling of two specific miracle stories: the feeding of the crowd from just a few fish and pieces of bread as well as the story of Jesus walking on water.  It was refreshing to ponder about what John was trying to accomplish in the fourth gospel.

Early Christians used stories like these by taking the miracles and evidence of Jesus’ command over nature in a way that confirms the deity of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, the discussion between the two scholars identified John’s reluctance in using these types of miracle stories as mere proof points for Christ’s divine nature, but rather that the gospel writer utilized them as a “sign” pointing to material worthy of much deeper consideration.

For example, one way to take texts beyond a common superficial reading is to see a connection between God providing the manna to eat in the wilderness and the bread produced in the feeding of the thousands. Significant meaning may derived when Jesus declares “I AM the bread of life” –making a Eucharist understanding of this gospel writer’s offering.

If this is the reading received from the text, the gospel message which John is “pushing” breaks from common expectations held at that time, one of which that saw Jesus Christ as fulfilling a royal or military leadership — certainly hoped for by many. We do see in the first half of John within the “Book of Signs,” other examples of this type of misunderstanding of Jesus’ true role and identity.

This discussion between Attridge and Bartlett is a great reminder for enabling a richer relationship with God’s Word. We always have the option to take it at the most perceptible level, which by itself may not be invalid. But our Scriptures give us the ability to connect with deeper meaning within almost every discourse.

I loved the discussion’s metaphor of simply “chewing the bread” vs. “chomping at it” in order to get at the “really chewy parts” as if you’re working on a “big hoagie” – (more…)