"From the Pulpit" - reflections on the weekly texts from Pastor Greg at Living Lord Lutheran Church
[Jesus said,] 56 “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65 And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”
66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:56-69
Will You Cross the Line?
Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.
We're finishing up 6 weeks of "I am" dialogues of Jesus, the feeding of the 55,000, and Jesus' invitations to eat and drink of his flesh, where we will find eternal life. So, let's take a trip back in time, to the time of Jesus.
Jesus has just finished feeding the 5,000 with a few loaves and some meager helpings of fish. Now, he's asking the crowds and his disciples to join him in eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Food and drink that will give all who partake of it, eternal life. We have to get beyond our 21st century sensibilities involving Holy Communion, because we know now that when we're at that communion rail, and the minister and assisting minister offer the elements, they're just bread, and just wine. Not the actual flesh and blood of Jesus himself. But in Jesus' time, there was no Holy Communion on Sunday at church on Sunday. And so, as we heard these words of Jesus, our only reference would have been the literal eating and drinking - a disgusting thought. Add to that, your Jewish sensibilities, that told you that you never ate the blood of an animal, let alone the blood of a human being.
So, what to do. Those who heard these words of Jesus would have been spooked. Perplexed. Offended. Offended at the thought of eating the flesh of Jesus. No, actually, the word in the Greek is "gnawing" - gnawing on the flesh of Jesus. And so you can understand why many who heard these words of Jesus turned away. It was just too much to expect them to eat the flesh and drink the blood of another human being, even if it was Jesus himself. It was a line that many just refused to cross. The text says that many of his disciples turned back, and no longer went about with him. We can understand why.
And so, enter Peter. Peter, the denier. Peter the betrayer. Peter the tepid disciple. And he sort of breaks the ice with his rhetorical question, "Lord to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life." Another confession by Peter. He had seen Jesus turn water into wine at the wedding at Cana. He had seen Jesus heal a sick child of a Roman official. He, along with the other disciples had seen Jesus heal many sick and dying people in his ministry.
But Jesus now wants a more intimate relationship with his disciples and us. It's not enough to see Jesus healing and confess that Jesus is Lord. It's not enough to have heard his teaching and believe that he is the Messiah. The disciples had seen and heard these things. But now, Jesus wants more. A more intimate relationship with his disciples, and all of humanity. A more intimate relationship through eating and drinking his body and blood. After all, is there a more intimate relationship with another than this?
This Christian discipleship thing is not easy. It's not just for the head, or for the heart. But for our entire being - every part of us. And thus, Jesus' invitation to dine on his flesh and blood. For it is in this intimate act of consuming him, and he dwells in us, and we in him, which John so often talks about in his gospel. At the cross, Jesus opens himself up to us. Pours himself out for us. Empties himself for us. To dine on his lifeblood, thereby giving us the gift of life beyond the grave.
So, this Sunday, as we receive the Sacrament, think about the fact that Jesus is truly present in that wine and in that bread. The body and blood of Jesus himself. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Amen.
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