28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that "we might work the works of Grod?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath Bent.
30 They said therefore unto him, "What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and beUeve thee? what dost thou work ?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in
the desert; as it is wr.tten, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which Cometh down from heaven, and giveth Hfe unto the word.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
These verses form the beginning of one of the most remarkable passages in the Gospels. None, perhaps, of our Lord's discourses has occasioned more controversy, and been more misunderstood, than that which we find in the Sixth Chapter of John.
We should observe, for one thing, in these verses, the spiritual ignorance and vnhelief of the natural man. Twice over we see this brought out and exemplified. When our Lord bade his hearers " labour for the meat "which endureth to eternal life," they immediately began to think of works to be done, and a goodness of their own to be established. " What shall we do that we might work the works of God ?" Doing, doing, doing, was their only idea of the way to heaven. — Again, when our Lord spoke of Himself as One sent of God, and the need of believing on Him at once, they turn round with the question, — " What sign showest thou ? what dost thou work ?" Fresh from the mighty miracle of the loaves and fishes, one might have thought they had had a sign sufficient to con- vince them. Taught by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, one might have expected a greater readiness to believe. But alas! there are no limits to man's dulness, prejudice, and unbelief in spiritual matters. It is a striking fact that the only thing which our Lord is said to have "marvelled"