Over these four weeks of the reading from the sixth chapter of John, the bread discourses we could call them, we can see the development of this “Jesus as the bread of life” theme. As it goes along, it becomes deeper theologically and increasingly difficult to grasp. If you decided to pick up your bible and read the entire sixth chapter all at once, it sounds quite repetitive to our 21st century ears. It does make one wonder why John goes about on about it so. Well, at the time when this gospel was written, repetition was a writing tool authors used to say to readers and listeners—“Pay attention here, this is important! Missed it the first time? Well, here it is again!”
The story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes is the beginning of the bread discourses. After Jesus feeds the people with the loaves and fishes, which, arguably is a replication of the manna miracle in an updated form, --which by the way, the Jewish people expected the Messiah was to perform when he came, Jesus tells his listeners that he himself is the bread of life, because he too was sent by God to save them. But, Jesus points out to them, that although that bread from heaven did save their ancestors during the desert crossing, in due time, those ancestors did die. He, Jesus, sent by the Almighty God, is the true bread from heaven—the bread that will bring them eternal life—Jesus can save the souls of those who believe in him.
So not only is he the true bread, but the living bread from heaven, better than manna! Jesus did more than signal God’s presence among God’s people. Jesus walked among them, lived among them, performed miracles and healings among them. Jesus was God incarnate, God walking among them, God’s living presence among the people. Ok, so far so good. Jesus is the true and living bread. That is a lot to digest, if you’ll pardon the pun; and a bit too much for some folks. There was grumbling and complaining in the crowd of listeners, some people were unable to or chose not to see, to understand where Jesus was going with this bread of life comparison, this manna analogy idea, but others were able to follow it and even believe it–that Jesus was sent by God to be the Messiah, to be God’s true, living and saving presence among them.
Today we heard that Jesus returns to this teaching once again in the synagogue and that’s where he takes this teaching even farther: “53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” It’s like he dropped a bombshell!
Well, thinking of Jesus as manna, as the bread from heaven who supposedly brings eternal life was challenging enough; but now cannibalism! That’s upping the ante to the point where many of the followers were not just turned off, but now thoroughly rejected Jesus. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood! The drinking blood was particularly offensive, as it “transgresses one of the most fundamental taboos in the food laws of Israel (Lev. 17: 10-14…)” [1]
And you know, if you hear it just like that, “eat my flesh and drink my blood” without any other background or information or preparation—it does sound really gross, and kind of offensive. I have talked to people who have no Christian background and are offended by this whole concept of the Eucharist.
Again, like other stuff from the Bible that we sometimes struggle to understand, it has to be put into context so we can understand it beyond the face value of what’s being said in a few excerpted verses.
This part of John’s gospel is seen by some theologians as John’s ‘Eucharistic Discourse’. John doesn’t tell the Eucharistic story, what we’ve come to call the Last Supper like the other 3 gospels do; John provides no direct reference to it. We even call it the “Last Supper” -- a special event we’ve come to associate with Jesus’ death. According to one commentator I read, this is John’s version of the bread and wine ritual. It differs from the other 3 gospel writers in how he understands the Eucharist “...by tying the ritual not directly to Jesus’ death but rather to his life.” [2] You could say it’s like taking Jesus deep into yourself--like taking in nourishment for your soul. It’s deeply metaphorical. “John’s Eucharistic theology is unabashedly life affirming: Jesus saves life by giving life.” [3]
In verse 56 Jesus says: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.” There’s that abide word again, another of John’s favourite words, and you might have heard me talk about John’s frequent use of the word abide before. Listen now to another couple of ‘abiding verses’: Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. (John 15.4) As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. (John 15.9) To abide, in this context, means being together with someone very closely—in an intimate way. So close, so deeply in fact, that it goes beyond the physical and emotional, to the spiritual. That’s what Jesus wants with us, what he is offering to all who hear his message. And he tells those who have ears to hear: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.” (vs 54) Not will have eternal life some day, but have eternal life. Present tense, right here, right now, we can have eternal life when we are in relationship with Jesus, we don’t have to wait until we die to be with our Lord! Jesus is offering himself to us to nourish ourselves spiritually, so as to be with him always. “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.” You can’t get much closer to someone than that, to take someone into yourself, that the two are then like one. It is the ultimate love relationship. To be at one with Christ, to sense God in Christ with us as we go about our daily lives, nourishing and strengthening us in all our life challenges.
As I pondered through these verses, I thought of it in this way: By feeding us from his own life force, Jesus gives us life. That is an incredibly intimate relationship. This is more than just bodily survival; this is for the survival of our souls—eternal life with Christ. We don’t need to go it alone.
As I continued to think this through, it reminded me of that expression: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”[4] People are temporal and spiritual creatures—we have bodies and souls, both require feeding to not just survive but to function at optimum levels—to be healthy.
And that’s what we replicate each time we partake of the bread and wine of Holy Eucharist. We are physical beings and the very physicality of taking in the bread, the wine, the body and blood of Christ is the reminder of our need to ‘feed on Jesus’—to go to Jesus for spiritual sustenance. It’s the very definition of a sacrament—an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. That’s why Holy Eucharist was done by the early Anglican church each Sunday—a weekly reminder of our need for spiritual sustenance, and to get it from Christ, and through Christ. Because the spiritual aspect of ourselves needs to be fed. If it is neglected, is not fed or not exercised, it too can become unhealthy and harmful. And like our bodies can become ill, our souls too, if not cared for and nourished, are less able to resist, and can succumb—to those temptations and vices that can hurt us so deeply inside, which often result in hurting others too. By feeding our souls, by taking in Jesus’ own strength and spirit as nourishment, our spiritual life strengthens and grows. The Eucharist is literally a hands-on reminder of our need to come to Jesus, and be fed spiritually. Brings new meaning to the phrase: you are what you eat!
We come to deeper relationship with Jesus by feeding our souls, learning more about Jesus and our faith as Christians in many ways: by personal prayer, coming together with other who are looking for deeper understanding, by listening to God’s call for us and by doing God’s work. Coming to church nourishes our souls: through worship in prayer and song, by asking forgiveness and receiving absolution, we are assured of God’s grace, God’s love; and of course, in the sharing of the sacrament of the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Amen
[1] Wayne A. Meeks, Exegetical Perspective for John 6: 51-58 Proper 15, in Feasting on the Word Yr B, Vol 3. P. 357.
[2] Loye Bradley Ashton, Theological Perspective for John 6: 56-69 Proper 1, in Feasting on the Word Yr B, Vol 3. P. 382.
[3] IBID
[4] Pierre Teilhard de Chardin French Jesuit paleontologist and mystic (1881-1955) http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pierreteil160888.html accessed Aug 12.15