Later, speaking to the Samaritan woman, he said that there is other water beside this water. At one level, bread was simply bread - simply flour and yeast and nutrition for the body, but Jesus was saying something more. They all needed to be seeing this next level of bread, that bread that is the word of God. There is even a third level in this metaphor - Jesus was the very Bread of Life. One thing at a time.
People are hungry.
Well, yes, but there is also the question of life and abundant life. There is the question that Christians must ask about how one best feeds those who are our companions in this world. Jesus is saying that the physical bread may ease the hunger and give physical sustenance and life, but the word of God is bread that will give life eternal. He is saying that we live by more than bread. Hear this today.