It
struck me last night while reading John 6 and 7: Jesus talks a
lot about bread. Bread is mentioned some twenty times in the
Gospel of John and over half of those instances occur in chapter 6.
Jesus
first feeds the thousands who have gathered around him with five
loaves of bread and two fish A true miracle. Not only does everyone
have something to eat, “they all ate as much as they wanted.” (v.
11). This miracle should remind us of Numbers 11 where the
Israelites were fed with manna from heaven. Through Moses, the
Father fed his children with manna. Now, Jesus is “the true bread
from heaven.” This bread from heaven “gives life to the world.”
(v. 33). The manna only met physical, temporal needs; the bread of
life nourishes people spiritually and eternally.
Just
like in the days of Moses, the people grumbled.
(John
6:41) So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am
the bread that came down from heaven." (John 6:42) They said,
"Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother
we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"
Jesus
rebukes them and not only calls himself the bread of life but Jesus
explains that he is “the living bread that came down from heaven.”
He goes on to say “Anyone who eats this bread will live forever;
and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my
flesh.” I wonder if these words rang in the minds of those who
heard them when Jesus is later crucified?
Now,
we move to the section of Scripture that is regularly discussed and
debated.
John
6:53-59 (NLT) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
have no life in you. (54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my
blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. (56)
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in
him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the
Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
(58) This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the
bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live
forever." (59) Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he
taught at Capernaum.
What
does Jesus mean when he says “unless you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you?” Some would
say that Jesus is asking for people to fully “consume” him by
believing in him. Others would say that Jesus is speaking
specifically of the Eucharist: this bread is Christ's literal flesh
broken for us and the wine is his literal blood shed for us.
Perhaps
it's both? At this point, those who heard this teaching cannot
literally partake of the Eucharist but they can believe in this bread
of life. The message is clear: there is life in Jesus. Eternal
life. We see it played out each time we gather for the Eurcharist.
As the liturgy instructs us:
On
the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our
Lord
Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks
to you, he
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take,
eat:
This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the
remembrance
of me."
After
supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given
thanks, he
gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you:
This is
my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you
and for many
for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for
the remembrance of me."
Therefore we proclaim the mystery
of faith:
Celebrant and People
Christ has
died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The
Celebrant continues
We celebrate the memorial of our
redemption, O Father, in
this sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving. Recalling his death,
resurrection, and ascension,
we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to
be for your people the
Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food
and drink of new
and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that
we may faithfully
receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in
unity, constancy,
and peace; and at the last day bring us with
all your saints
into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
All
this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and
with him,
and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor
and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
What
we find in John 6 is very good news. Jesus brings life to those who
would believe in him. He meets our greatest need by his own
sacrifice. We eat his body and drink his blood and recall the sheer
wonder of his grace and love toward us.
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