Commentary on the Gospel of
Faith as Work
In the early Church arose some tensions about the primacy of work or faith. We have James writing plainly that without works, faith is as good as dead (cf. Jas. 2:17). John is providing us with a different perspective, combining both. Jesus invites the people to work for the imperishable food. The crowd wants to know what they must do, to which Jesus answers that the work God wants them to do is to believe in Christ. Faith is Work. Ask those who have walked the dark path of faith. Faith is work that makes one’s soul sweat blood. It is work that demands one’s entire life space. Faith is a verb that demands constant doing. Those who are engaged in that work know well that they cannot realize it on their own, and they must beg, “I have faith; but help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24).
