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” – this is something that can truly illuminate our time with Scripture.  The meat is there for the partaking, you just need to be hungry!  Opening our eyes to metaphorical understanding of the “signs” which the gospel writers intended for us to recognize is an important concept to take to heart.

One missional takeaway from this discussion is that we need to recognize the mapping in Scripture things familiar to the Early Christian believers in their own experience to the story of Jesus. Moreover, from the beginning, faith in Jesus is not “easy” stuff, for both believers and seekers – personal investment in the truth includes a journey that ebbs and flows.

Thus we are called to reach for those profound connections with those under our care in discipleship. If done appropriately, we will help otehrs to discover the “chewy” substance the gospel writers provide.  This is especially true if we allow it to “push us” further and consistently as one of the professors challenged.

Recognizing these facets can only empower us as we share the hope we have in Christ Jesus’s story of the Gospels.