In this the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus begins to withdraw to the east side of the Sea of Galilee. He has fed the 5,000, and he has walked on water. The press of the crowds had become all consuming and he needs some solitude to prepare himself for what lay ahead. Considering that the crowds that followed him more than likely knew of the feeding of the 5,000, and some may even have heard of the miraculous walking on water, it is difficult to explain why in these verses, they would doubt anything he had to say — but they do. It is like the saying that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true. For many, Jesus is just too good to be true. He has already handed out a basket full of goodies, yet people want another example of his power.

Notice in our reading…